Green Eyes
by Muffy the Dough Slayer
Summary: AU What if you were judged by the color of your eyes? Actions have consequences as Dean learns when he helps the enemy. Cast aside from his own kind, he's forced on a chaotic journey to discover who he really is. Character death. Dean/Cas slash. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

Well, this is an idea for one of my original stories, but that story hasn't gone anywhere in a long time, and I thought it was an interesting world I created, so...hehe yeah. The original idea started from what one of my teachers said when we were studying slavery and the literature that came from that time period in my eighth grade English class...and my teacher posed the question, "What if you were judged by the color of your eyes?" And he split us up...blue-eyed people got to eat pie and the non-blue-eyed people had to do work and stay on the opposite side of the room, and then we switched when someone finally spoke up that it was wrong, even though we all knew it was a joke and were laughing at the scowls on other people's faces. (There were only like three blue-eyed people though, I was one of them, hehe)

But it got me thinking, and then sometime near the end of last year, this idea popped into my head. What if you really were judged on the color of your eyes, and with each color, you got certain abilities? And thus came this universe, this world, of the Eyes.

At the top of the hierarchy, there's the Blue Eyes (simply because I don't know many blue-eyed people so they're a minority). Just below them, the Gray Eyes. Then the Topaz Eyes (because I like that color), then the Brown Eyes, then Hazel Eyes, and at the very bottom, the Green Eyes, who are mostly hated through the world of the Eyes. From this I sprung a loose plot but it fizzled as I lost motivation. I still think it's a very interesting idea and I really want to get back to it one day, but for now, I thought I would introduce the Supernatural characters to this world...I thought it would make for an interesting AU.

If you want, I can post the Eyes and what the abilities are for each of them, or I can just write it into the story as I go. I vote for the second but it's up to you. And, the summary for this story is loose simply because I'm going to be toying around with this idea for a while. But...yeah. Please at least give this a chance, even though it's going to be a little different. Please review! It will make me want to keep going ;)

Anyway...

* * *

**Green Eyes**

_By Muffy the Dough Slayer_

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Supernatural. I do, however, own this world of the Eyes.

**Summary: **What if you were judged by the color of your eyes? What if each color brought with it different abilities? In this AU story, Dean has three simple rules he follows. Seems easy, right? He's a Green Eye looking out for his own kind in a world that pretty much hates their existence. When Castiel, a Blue Eye, suddenly appears in the Abyss, bloody and hurt, Dean thinks it's justice for all the Green Eyes who have suffered at the hands of the other Eyes. When Green Eyes hurt the Blue Eye, something happens in Dean, and suddenly he breaks his third rule: never help any other Eyes. Leave them be. He helps Castiel, but little does he know that this one act of kindness is the beginning of something more powerful and larger than him, something so much bigger, and something dark is on the horizon. Eventual Dean/Cas slash so be warned. A few graphic scenes maybe later on. Some torture. (Just a loose summary, it will probably change...please give it a chance!)

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Chapter One

Dean had three rules in his life, three rules that he mainly followed while living in what had come to be known as the Abyss, which was mainly a crater-like dip in the earth that lead down to dark shadows. In this Abyss lived the Green Eyes, of which Dean was one of.

Now, Dean's rules were pretty damn simple. He followed them and got by, and now he was nineteen. An adult, and able to journey out to the edges of the Abyss and sometimes even beyond, if he were going to be allowed to go on meetings, which most Green Eyes didn't do. The other Eyes didn't like them that much, though Dean couldn't understand their reasoning.

Dean's rules, he had created four years ago, when he was fifteen and his best friend had been killed by a Brown Eye. His friend had just been one of many Green Eyes that had been killed by Brown Eyes, who shared an edge of their Abyss border. The killings had stopped, or at least slowed down, and as far as Dean knew, no one had ever even been punished for it. He wasn't even sure the Blue Eyes - or those who were kind of like the Eye police seeing as how they telepathic abilities - had even searched for those behind the awful mutilations of innocent Green Eyes.

It wasn't like the other Eyes cared, though.

_Rule One: Guard your own. Fight for the Green Eyes._

Pretty simple, right? He was a Green Eye and thus he would fight for them. He also had to admit that he wanted revenge for his friend's horrible death, since no one really seemed willing to do anything about it.

_Rule Two: Use your strengths and abilities wisely. Don't become weak._

Easy, right? Study in the Control, which was like school for Green Eyes who needed to learn to control their abilities. Simple enough. Dean had practiced and perfected his technique, had become one of the strongest Green Eyes of his age and had been highly appraised at his Content, which was like his graduation from the Control. Pretty easy, paying attention there and all that, especially after he'd set his mind to it after his friend's untimely death.

And last but not least…

_Rule Three: Do not help any other Eye outside of the Green Eyes. They don't deserve it. Leave them be._

Well…that rule had been going pretty well. Dean hadn't seen any other Eyes in years, not since a few of them had to travel through the Abyss for some reason, and none of them had been very kind, had treated the Abyss and the Green Eyes like dirt, and he'd hated them instantly. So this rule seemed to be easy to follow…up until that had stopped.

It wasn't like he'd gone _looking_ to break this rule. It was just that he'd been walking, wandering around, reveling in his newfound freedom near the border of the Abyss, and he'd tripped. Sure, logs could trip people. It happened. And roots - they were the bane of his existence. Except this wasn't a log or root…unless said log or root could groan.

And so that was where he now found himself, staring down at a wounded person who was bloody, beaten, and…mostly out of it. But when his eyes fluttered open, all Dean could see was blue…endless, bright blue, and he felt a snarl appear on his face. How dare a Blue Eye appear here, in the Abyss, his _home_? He wanted to walk away. Wanted to go back and alert the other Green Eyes that a Blue Eye was trespassing without reason. The pain the others would no doubt inflict due to years of hidden rage and anger would be satisfying…

Or so he thought, but the moment he tried to walk away, a shaky, weak hand latched onto his ankle, stopping him cold in his tracks. Staggering, he went to his knees next to the person, the Blue Eye, and frowned, a glare appearing on his face. "Let go before I make you," he snapped angrily.

Blue eyes focused on him slowly, dark black bangs dipping into the person's face, do doubt hindering their sight. "You…are a Green Eye?" They recoiled as though he had bitten them, releasing his ankle instantly.

"Yeah, well, you're bound to run into us evil Green Eyes when you come into the Abyss," Dean said with a snarl, sneering down at this arrogant, bloody Blue Eye. He stood and sidestepped the guy. "If you promise to leave, _now_, I won't report you to the others."

"No - please," the Blue Eye uttered, reaching out for him again, eyes wide and wounded, and Dean frowned. "I…I can't walk…my ankle…I think I twisted it."

"Too bad. Hobble off." Dean usually wasn't cold or cruel by any standards, but this was a Blue Eye, invading his home territory, and he hated it. This guy had no right being here, and then recoiling as though _Dean_ were the problem. That just made Dean's blood run hot with the raging inferno building within. "Get going. You're pissing me off, Blue Eye."

"Castiel."

"Huh?" Dean frowned. What the hell was this guy talking about?

"My name - it's Castiel."

"Good for you, I don't care. Get out of the Abyss before I get the others. I don't want you Eyes here." He turned and started walking, sure that he would lose his temper - and perhaps burn the area down despite his perfection at his control - if he were to stay here any longer. He began pushing through the bushes, listening as the Blue Eye, who dared announce to him that his name was Castiel, as the guy squirmed on the ground, wincing and gasping in pain.

"Wait," Castiel gasped breathlessly, and Dean stopped, not sure why he was doing so for this Blue Eye. He should keep going and tell the others. Should tell them a Blue Eye was here without reason. "Please. Wait." There was the sound of more shifting and then the thud as a body hit the ground, and the Blue Eye gasped again in agony.

Sighing, Dean turned and found the Blue Eye clutching at his ankle, a grimace spread across his pale face. "Why should I?" Dean asked, crossing his arms as he leaned against a tree, narrowing his green eyes at the guy.

"I…Please, I can't…" Castiel trailed off, wincing and closing his eyes as he tightened his grip on his ankle. "I…I'll go if you just…help me."

"I'm not helping you," Dean said, scoffing at the very idea. It was his rule, after all. "Hobble off by yourself."

"…Why…are you acing like this?"

"Do you really have to ask, Blue Eye? After the way you and your kind, and all the other Eyes have treated us? Why would I help you? It's a two-way street and you guys gave up on us a long time ago, pal."

Castiel frowned at him. "I don't understand," he said. "We…what?"

"Okay, in simpler terms. I don't like you. You don't like me. Crystal?"

"I…what? I don't like you?"

"No. You recoiled when you learned I was a Green Eye like I was the devil or something," Dean said with a sneer. "You and your kind do that. Would you get up and hobble off already?"

"I'm afraid I don't understand…I've never…seen a Green Eye before."

"Yeah, that's probably because we've been exiled to this horrible place, and now you're invading it, too. Would you leave already?" The sound of a twig snapping caught his attention and he sighed. "Too late, they're coming."

Castiel's eyes went wide. "What? I shouldn't be here…"

"You're damn right you shouldn't." Wasn't that what Dean had been trying to tell him the whole time?

"I…please, I can't walk…"

Dean sighed and scrubbed a hand across his face, wondering why he was even considering this for a stupid Blue Eye. Grumbling to himself, he snapped, "You have one minute to crawl away, or something." Then he smoked out of there before the Blue Eye could protest.

Smoking was easy…if one were a controlled Green Eye. The younger Green Eyes hadn't learned to control it yet and thus couldn't really do it. To Dean, though, it was pretty simple. All he did was use the smoke in the air to bend the air around him, because no matter what, there was always smoke in the air, no matter how little or how much, and he could use it. It was strange, sometimes, becoming nothing but air as he smoked away and moved through the trees, investigating why that twig had snapped.

Why he was even thinking about helping this Blue Eye, he didn't know. Maybe it was the last of his Eye compassion or something.

Whatever.

He smoked back into existence, if he were to use that kind of terminology, and found himself face to face with Hyde, who was a few years older than him and had a scar across his face for reasons he wouldn't tell Dean. "Hey," Dean greeted.

"Hey. What are you doing, smoking around?"

"Uh…nothing," Dean said. "Just got bored and heard you coming. What's up?"

"We got reports of Blue Eyes near the border and a few Brown Eyes, thought I'd check it out. You haven't seen anything, have you?" Hyde narrowed his eyes at him.

"Um…no. No, I haven't, but I'll look around and let you know." Why he was lying for that stupid Blue Eye, he didn't know. But it was too late to tell the truth now, because then Hyde would know he was lying, and that wouldn't go over too well. Hyde had anger problems…and fire problems.

Hyde nodded and opened his mouth to respond when another voice shouted, "I found a Blue Eye! Over here!"

Dean's stomach dropped because the voice was coming from where Castiel was. But then, why did he even care? He hated the other Eyes, after all…didn't he? He was sure he did. So why did he care? He didn't. Nope. Not at all. He followed Hyde in the direction of the voice - Jacob's voice, if he recognized it correctly. Jacob was Hyde's older brother, and he had just as many fire and anger problems as Hyde, if not more so.

He entered the area he'd left the Blue Eye in and saw him backed against a tree, his eyes ample and wide with fear and pain as he continued to clutch at his ankle. Hadn't he told the guy to crawl away or something? It wasn't his fault Castiel didn't move from this spot, right? Nope. He didn't care. He leaned against a tree and watched as Hyde approached Castiel, Jacob already standing angrily in front of the Blue Eye.

"Well, well, well," Hyde laughed, causing Castiel to shift uneasily. "Look what we have here. What the hell do you think you're doing here, you little shit?" He kicked Castiel in the side, causing the Blue Eye to topple over in pain, his wounded eyes wandering toward Dean as though searching for something…help, maybe? Dean glared back. He wasn't helping the guy. He'd told him to leave, after all. And he didn't care.

Hyde grabbed a handful of Castiel's black hair and lifted his head, slamming it back against a tree. Castiel flinched and grimaced.

"Sorry, did that hurt?" Hyde asked emotionlessly. "Sorry. But wait…isn't this what you and all the other Eyes have been doing to use for years? On second though, I'm not sorry. At all." He kneed Castiel in the chest and Jacob kicked the Blue Eye in the gut, causing Castiel to almost curl over, gasping for breath, but Hyde still had a tight hold on his hair. "Did that hurt? Good."

Dean shifted against the tree. Sure, he didn't mind having Castiel beat up…he was a Blue Eye after all…but still…The guy was already wounded, right? So why were Hyde and Jacob acting like this?

Castiel's eyes were on him again. Dean wasn't used to seeing anyone with blue eyes, barely even recognized the color, and he shifted even more under the gaze and turned away. He wasn't going to help him. He'd gotten himself into this mess. Dean had told him to get out of the Abyss.

He heard the sound of flesh against flesh, the sound of punches being thrown and the sound of the Blue Eye groaned in pain. He almost turned around…_almost_. He just focused his gaze on the ground below and smoked away, darting through the trees quickly. Why did he care? He didn't. Nope. He didn't care about that idiotic Blue Eye, who hadn't run when he'd given him the chance.

He didn't care.

It was a rule. He didn't help other Eyes.

Ever.

* * *

Castiel watched as the Green Eye disappeared without even looking at him again, without turning back toward him, without trying to help in the slightest. He tasted blood in his mouth after he bit down on his tongue to keep from crying out and giving these two Green Eyes the satisfactory of hearing his pain. They kept kicking him and hitting him, and everything just felt so unbelievably sore. His ankle, which had already been causing him pain and trouble, snapped under the pressure of one of the Green Eyes' foot as they stomped down, and he couldn't suppress the scream that rippled free from his chest, agony rolling across him in waves.

_For the love of the Eyes, please stop!_ he silently begged, unable to form words through the pain sparking through him so intensely. The Green Eyes just laughed at his pain and continued kicking him and hitting him. His face felt swollen and oh-so-sore, one eye swollen shut, and his lip was busted. His tongue from him biting it earlier. Blood coated his teeth.

"Help," he begged even though he was sure it was useless. Who was there to help him? "P-Please…"

He didn't like begging…but this pain was just so intense, so consuming…he just wanted it to _stop_.

"Stop…please!"

"Aw, look at that, he wants us to stop," one of the Green Eyes laughed to the other, and the pain only continued. Whimpering, Castiel tried to curl in on himself, wondering how anyone could be this cruel. Why were they doing this to him? Why did they already seem to hate him?

"Guys, that's enough…leave him alone," came a familiar, deep voice, the voice of the Green Eye that had originally found him and then smoked away when he'd looked to him for help. Castiel swallowed and opened his eyes…or rather, his eye, because his other eye was swollen shut. The earlier Green Eye, the one that appeared to be younger than these two with freckles splotched across his face, dark blonde hair hanging into his eyes, stepped forward angrily. "I said stop."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" one of the other Green Eyes asked, frowning. "Dean, this is a Blue Eye!"

"I'm aware," the Green Eye, Dean, said as he rolled his eyes. "But I think you've done enough, Hyde. How are we…" There was a pause, as though Dean was hesitating, and Castiel looked at him pleadingly, wanting the pain to _please stop_. "How are we any better than them if we just beat them the moment they come here?"

"We're here because of them," Hyde said angrily.

"I know…and I hate them just as much as you, but…this doesn't seem right."

The other Green Eye laughed. "Who would have thought you would have been sticking up for a Green Eye, Dean."

"I'm not sticking up for him," Dean snapped, "I'm just telling you, Jacob, that this is enough. Jesus, are you trying to kill him or something?"

"Maybe," Jacob said easily, and Castiel swallowed thickly. He didn't want to die. He just vaguely knew where he was and that was only because Dean had said it…the Abyss. Where the Green Eyes lived. He didn't want to die here, or anywhere, for that matter. "What if we do kill him? What's it matter?"

"You're going to make the Blue Eyes angry. Are you trying to start a war or something?" Dean asked.

"We're already at war. We declared it a long time ago and they promised not to come into our land anymore. And here they are," Hyde said, giving Castiel a harsh kick to his side, making him double over and slide further into the ground, groaning. He locked his eyes on Dean, hoping he would continue to try and help and not just leave again.

_Please,_ he wanted to say, _please help. It hurts…_

"I said stop!" Dean growled at Hyde, suddenly disappearing so fast only to reappear directly in front of Hyde in the next second, causing Hyde to blink at him momentarily. "Leave him alone already."

"You really want to do this, Dean?" Jacob growled. "Really?"

"If you're not gonna back off, then yeah," Dean said.

"Turning on your own kind for a Blue Eye, Dean?" Hyde asked.

"I'm not doing anything of the sort!" Dean shot back. "I'm trying to stop you guys from doing something horrible and starting a full-on war! That's the last thing we freakin' need!"

"Then you're going to have to make us stop."

"Gladly," Dean spat. He closed his eyes and suddenly the energy in the air changed, grew heated, and fire sparked to life directly in front of Jacob and Hyde as Castiel watched with his good eye, frozen as he stared. Then suddenly Dean vanished again, and some sort of strange, smoke-like energy surrounded Castiel, coating him in the warm feeling. It felt…oddly welcoming and…he kind of liked it, even though he had no idea what it was. He didn't question it, was unable to do so with the pain anyway, but when the fire disappeared and Hyde and Jacob looked his way, he swallowed, figuring he was alone with them again. Where had Dean gone? How could he do that?

But Hyde and Jacob blinked in confusion and looked around as though he wasn't even there.

"How the hell did he do that?" Jacob snapped at Hyde. "He can't smoke another person!"

"He probably just helped the Blue Eye hobble off or something, okay? They're around here. Let's go." Hyde hurried away into the trees and Jacob quickly followed after him.

For a long moment, Castiel held his breath. What had just happened? Had just they looked right over him as though he weren't there? Why? How?

And then Dean appeared next to him and that warm feeling that was coating him vanished. Dean took in a deep breath and smiled, actually _smiled_, at him, chuckling. "Those two are morons, but they're fast. So…we need to hurry. I'm going to help you, okay? Don't scream. Don't talk. Just be quiet so I can get us both the hell out of here. Understand?" He bent down in front of Castiel and looked him right in the eye with his intense, green gaze.

Castiel nodded jerkily.

"Good. Let's go." Dean grabbed Castiel's arm and helped him to his feet, allowing him to slide up the tree he was leaning against.

Pain caught in Castiel's throat but he managed to hold it back for the time being, not uttering a word as he held his breath as though to stave off the pain. Dean helped him move forward, slowly, the Green Eye's arm wrapped around his waist, allowing him to lean against him as they walked. Castiel couldn't understand why Dean was doing this but he didn't question it, was just so thankful that he had come back to help, that he hadn't left him there to get…_killed_ by those two.

They were really going to kill him…

Swallowing, Castiel struggled to ignore those thoughts and the pain as he continued moving forward with Dean's help.

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So...good, bad? Please let me know! Please give it a chance...I like the idea and it's fun writing it, so...hehe yeah. Anyway, please review! I really appreciate it! And the last chapter and epilogue of Hear Me Now should be up soon, promise ;) Thanks!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews! I was so happy to see the feedback ;) I know you guys have questions, but most of them will be answered in the story. However, if you want to message me about it, then okay, I'll answer it. But anyway! ;) I'm so glad you gave it a chance! Thank you so, so much! This story is fun to write.

Yes, Sam will be present. John, too. And Gabriel and Michael. But with John, Sam, Dean, and Cas, I'm going by their actual eye color. The others, I just kind of put them in randomly where I thought they should be to fit in. But anyway ;) Thanks so much for reading! Please continue to review! I really appreciate it!

Onward!

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Chapter Two

Dean couldn't fathom what had made him turn back, what had made him feel that gnawing sense of guilt in his gut as he got further away from the Blue Eye. He'd known Hyde and Jacob would hurt the guy, and he hadn't wanted to be around for it even though the thought used to cause him pleasure and happiness, the fact that the other Eyes would soon be hurt as the Green Eyes were. Now, though, with his arm around Castiel's waist as he helped the Blue Eye trudge along, he didn't feel like that at all. He felt…pity for this Blue Eye. He felt guilty for having left, even though it was really either that or join in at the time…but then he'd _helped_ Castiel, which would definitely lead to repercussions later.

And damn, but he wasn't looking forward to that. Why had the helped the Blue Eye, anyway? Why was he _still_ helping him? He could have just dropped him off somewhere along the border, but no, he was still trudging along with the guy plastered to his side, his ankle obviously broken and bloody. The Blue Eye trembled with each step and his breaths were shaky. They would stop soon, but then again, it wasn't much further, the place Dean was trying to take the Blue Eye to.

No Green Eye ever came this far toward the border, and Dean had made himself a little getaway there for when things back in Center - or where most of the Green Eyes stayed - got too tough. He liked having a place to himself. No one else knew about it, and he knew he'd never tell anyone. Not if he could help it, anyway.

"Just a little farther," he urged the Blue Eye even though he wasn't sure why he was even bothering with this. This was insane! This broke his rules…two of them, at any rate. The first and third rule. This certainly wasn't fighting for the Green Eyes, right? Well, he had meant that he didn't want a war to start, but that hadn't necessarily been the real reason behind his going back for the Blue Eye…but Dean didn't wish to think on that right now, so he shut his mind down.

Castiel sagged toward the ground, a whimper escaping him as his fingers curled tightly in the fabric of Dean's jacket. Dean sighed and figured he could tolerate this for the time being, seeing as how the guy was hurt and all, but Dean certainly was _not_ a touchy-feely kind of guy. No way.

"Here we go," Dean murmured, "just a little further, alright? You still with me?" The Blue Eye was growing heavier and heavier against him. Why he was even allowing this, he didn't know.

"Mmm…" Castiel uttered in response, causing Dean to sigh heavily.

_Yeah, like that's very reassuring. Sounds like me when I'm begging to sleep for a few more minutes._ He snorted and shook his head, hauling the wounded and bloody Blue Eye onward, until they approached a run-down looking shack that was built into the side of a large hill. It had been there a while ago, broken down, and Dean had fixed it up. The only other person who had known of its existence had been his best friend from years ago, but he was dead and long gone, and he was never coming back.

Clenching his jaw and shoving those thoughts away forcefully, Dean kicked the door to the shack open and helped Castiel inside. He had a few supplies in there, seeing as how sometimes he camped out here for a few days before returning to the Center. It wasn't much, but it was some, and he figured it wouldn't be long until Blue Eyes came looking for Castiel.

There wasn't any real bed in the shack - there wasn't really room for one. There was, however, a bed made out of a few comforters on the ground, which Dean had hauled through the trees to bring here a few years ago, when his best friend had still been around. He eased Castiel down onto the comforters and grabbed his only pillow, allowing Castiel to use it for his hurt leg and ankle. Blood covered it and Dean sighed, knowing he wouldn't be able to use it anymore.

"I'll be right back," Dean murmured, not sure why he bothered telling the Blue Eye at all. It wasn't like the guy had to know where he was going or if he would come back. He didn't deserve to know, right? Shaking his head, Dean left the Blue Eye there while he smoked out of the shack to retrieve some water from the small creek that ran just next to the shack and the hill.

* * *

Castiel swallowed thickly, hating the taste of blood in his mouth, staining his teeth. It took him a moment to register what Dean had said, and by then, the Green Eye had vanished once more. He hated to admit it, but he felt better when Dean was there, felt safer somehow. Dean had helped him, even after he'd stated firmly that he wasn't going to do so. Castiel wasn't going to question it, though. He was just grateful that the Green Eye had gotten him away from the others.

_Why were they going to kill me? I don't understand…_

He had heard stories about Green Eyes…that they were evil, malignant, and the spawn of the devil. They had the ability to create fire and control it if they so wished to do so, and Dean had certainly cleared up that doubt by using fire when those others, Hyde and Jacob, had been there. Green Eyes had been dubbed the 'Fire Whisperers of Hell', and it was said that the fire created and used was Hellfire. Green Eyes, from what he'd heard, weren't to be trusted. They were cruel and cold and would kill without a second thought.

Hyde and Jacob were proof of that.

But he couldn't write off all Green Eyes as being like that…for some reason, it hurt to group Dean in with them. Dean had helped him, had come back for him, had gotten him away from those maniacs before they'd managed to do more to him. He'd helped Castiel walk away when he'd been sure he wouldn't have even been able to stand.

It was true that he'd never seen a Green Eye before. And really, he was only in this area because…wait. Actually, he couldn't really remember. He remembered pain, which would explain how hurt he'd been when Dean had first stumbled - literally stumbled - upon him, but…why couldn't he remember? Brows furrowed, Castiel closed his eyes. His body and mind ached too much to think about it at the moment.

Where was Dean? Castiel's fingers twitched. He wanted Dean to come back, even though he wasn't sure why. Green Eyes…they were bad…but Dean had helped him, had saved him from those two creeps, and…

Castiel felt safer with him around. He was sure it was just because Dean had saved him, but still. He did.

"Here," Dean said, coming through the still-open door of the shack, carrying a bucket of water. He grabbed a wooden cup from the ground, clearly homemade, and dipped it into the water before handing it to Castiel. Castiel fought to sit up, winced, and then reached eagerly for the cup, desperate to feel the cool and refreshing liquid in his mouth.

"Thank you," Castiel rasped, remembering his manners as he drank vigorously from the wooden cup, swallowing quickly. Soon the water from the cup was gone and he handed it back to Dean.

"I'd give you more, but that will have to wait." Dean dipped the cup back into the bucket and then set it aside for later. Castiel frowned at him, confused. "I'm going to set your leg and I need to clean the blood away."

"You're…what?" Castiel asked, blinking stupidly. His leg was on fire, but having Dean set it? Wouldn't that hurt even more? And why was Dean even doing this? Not that Castiel was complaining about the help, but still…

"If you're going to get out of here soon, that leg has to be taken care of," Dean said with a shrug, as though it were no big deal. "So…let's get started." He moved down toward Castiel's ankle and Castiel swallowed thickly. "This is going to hurt. I'm not going to lie." Dean blinked his green eyes at him.

He nodded slowly. "Okay…just hurry." He didn't want the pain to last longer than it needed to.

Dean nodded and handed Castiel a length of thick rope. "Bite down on this. Don't scream. I don't need them finding us, then we'll both be dead by nightfall."

Castiel swallowed thickly, feeling sick at the thought, and then nodded as he grabbed the rope and stuck it in his mouth, biting down hard on it, his heart racing in his chest.

A cool, wet cloth slid across his leg. Castiel looked up at the ceiling of the shack, trying to distract himself. Dean's hands moved across his leg and around his ankle, making him wince in pain. His entire body felt like it was on fire, the pain was so intense, and he couldn't even think straight.

He couldn't even hear Dean's thoughts…or those other Green Eyes.

Then again, Castiel wasn't the strongest Blue Eye. He wasn't even that strong at all. Blue Eyes were supposed to be telepathic, which made them kind of like the Eye police, seeing as how they could sense when someone was coming because of their mind, and they could see if someone was lying. They couldn't read other Blue Eyes' thoughts, but they could other Eyes. Castiel, though, wasn't very strong. No one had trained him, no one had wanted to do so. He'd just been an outcast, an orphan in the mountain society of the Blue Eyes.

Blue Eyes tended to stay in the mountains so they wouldn't have to hear other Eyes' thoughts all the time. It was known to give horrible headaches and no one needed that.

But now…shouldn't he have been hearing their thoughts? The Green Eyes? But he wasn't. He was weak…and pathetic…not strong, like the others.

He couldn't even remember how he'd gotten here, or why.

A shock of pain spiked through him when Dean applied pressure to his ankle, popping the bone back into place. A scream caught in Castiel's throat as he bit down hard on the rope, his fingers clawing painfully into the ground, blood appearing in their wake he was pressing down so hard. _Hurts, hurts, hurts! Make it stop!_ he silently begged, unable to even try opening his mouth at the moment. All that would escape was a scream, and Dean had told him not do that.

Something stiff and hard was pressed against his ankle. He didn't even look down, though, not wanting to see what Dean was doing. Something was tied around his ankle and pain increased slightly, but then died off a little as Dean rested his hand on his ankle. Warmth spread through his aching leg and the pain seemed less intense, allowing him a moment to just _breathe_.

"How-" he gasped, "how are you…doing that?"

"Perk of being a Green Eye," Dean muttered. "We evil Green Eyes can do some things."

Castiel frowned, wanted to tell Dean that he had never called him evil, that he didn't _think_ him evil, but exhaustion was tugging pitifully at him, and thus he gave in, allowing his head to drop to the floor with a light thud, the world around him growing dark as his eyes fell closed.

* * *

Dean released Castiel's ankle, wondering why he'd even bothered to help soothe the pain from his leg. What was the matter with him, helping this Blue Eye? He'd done what he could and what was necessary to get the guy out of the Abyss as quick as possible, and that didn't mean he had to help make the pain less severe. That wasn't something he had to do.

But it had seemed like a good idea at the time. He would have done it for any other Green Eye, so why not a Blue Eye? Confusion clouded his mind, because he was still breaking his rules. Sneering down at the now-unconscious Blue Eye, he got to his feet, intent on just leaving. He already had enough to deal with at the moment due to the fact that he was sure Hyde and Jacob had returned to the Center and had told others that Dean had disappeared with a Blue Eye, the enemy. He needed to get back and tell them his side of things before everything went too far south and he couldn't fix it.

Besides, he didn't own the Blue Eye anything. He'd done plenty for the guy already, more than was even necessary, more than he'd been entitled to do, and he needed to just leave.

Except, he had never been someone to bolt while someone, anyone, lay unconscious on the ground and in pain. And he didn't want to start now.

Scrubbing a hand over his face, he released a slow breath. How long could he stay away while Hyde and Jacob reported back to the Center?

_What is wrong with you, Dean? This is the enemy! Stop helping him and get back to your own damn kind!_ his mind snarled at him.

_Oh, go suck a lemon,_ he snapped back at his mind. _Leave me alone._

He wasn't sure why he was staying…

But he wasn't going to go while Castiel remained hurt and unconscious. He had never left anyone like that before, and he wasn't going to start now.

Even if that meant spending the night with the enemy in some run-down shack near the border of the Abyss.

* * *

It was kind of cold in the Abyss most nights. Tonight was no different, but Dean was a Green Eye - he was all about fire and warmth, and he summoned a swirling mass of fire to surround him momentarily, long enough to heat up the shack for the time being. Castiel slept soundly on the comforters while Dean sat near the door, allowing the fire to die off as he leaned against the wall, staring up at the ceiling. His stomach was growling but he had no food here at the moment. He figured he would have to go back to the Center in the morning and get some.

Somehow.

Castiel had a little more color to his face, at least that Dean could see. Green Eyes had excellent night vision, after all. Yet another reason people thought them to be the spawn of the devil. Shaking his head, he watched at Castiel twitched a little in his sleep, his expression crunching together as though he were having a nightmare.

"No…" the Blue Eye uttered brokenly, "no, please…s-stop…"

Frowning, Dean knew he could just leave it be. It was just a nightmare, after all. And that was what he intended to do, but then Castiel had to go and start crying in his sleep, tears running down his cheeks. Dean scowled at the Blue Eye for making things difficult, and then moved toward him, scooting across the ground until he was right next to him. Not sure what to do because he didn't want to wake the guy who obviously needed to rest if he was going to be up and moving soon, Dean shrugged to himself and rested a hand on Castiel's chest, feeling the rise and fall of each breath.

Closing his eyes, Dean allowed his fire to transform into energy, a warm feeling of soothing relaxation that shifted from to Castiel. Castiel relaxed, a light red glow surrounding him. Dean smiled to himself as he opened his eyes, watching as the Blue Eye's face evened out and he seemed to get more peaceful. Removing his hand, he moved away again, sitting back against the wall near the door.

It was going to be a long damn night. He could already tell.

And the worst part? His favorite pastime, besides burning things, was sleep…and he wasn't going to get to do any of that tonight.

Damn. Just his luck.

* * *

Castiel woke sore. Pain consumed him instantly, and his eyes flew open as he stared up at a strange ceiling he didn't really recognize. As he shifted, the memories of the day before came rushing back to him. The pain, the Green Eyes…Dean, helping him…Frowning to himself, he looked around but did not see the Green Eye anywhere. Had he left?

For some reason, that left him feeling a little shaky. He didn't want to be alone right now, not when he was still in the Abyss where other Green Eyes could potentially still be looking for him. "…Dean?" he uttered softly into the silence around him, not expecting an answer but hoping for one all the same.

Only silence answered him, though, and he sighed heavily, attempting to get up off the ground and stand.

That proved to be a wrong choice, though. He barely made it to his feet, using the wall for support, when he felt sick to his stomach. Leaning heavily against the wall, he felt the world spin around him. The shack seemed to be moving, twisting and turning, and he closed his eyes.

"What are you doing?" came Dean's voice, and Castiel opened his eyes to see Dean standing directly in front of him, seemingly having come from nowhere. "You should be on the ground. Horizontal."

"I…I…uh…"

"No arguing with me. Down."

He slid down the wall and to the ground without a second thought. Dean handed him a cup of water and he greedily accepted it, slurping it up quickly, handing the wooden cup back to Dean afterward. Then Dean tossed him a loaf of bread.

"That's all I could grab, but eat up," Dean said, turning to put the cup back next to the bucket of water, which was quickly running out. The Green Eye didn't seem worried about it, though.

"Thank you," Castiel murmured, "for…all of this. You…didn't have to."

"Damn right I didn't."

Castiel blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I don't even know why I'm still helping you." Dean shook his head. "I figure, maybe another day and then you can hobble out of here. Once you're out of the Abyss, you should be just fine. Everyone loves Blue Eyes." There was a sneer in his voice but Castiel wasn't offended.

"Oh…"

Dean nodded. "And then I have the oh-so-fun task of trying to explain myself to the Center." He shook his head at the thought. "Whatever."

"…The Center?"

"Doesn't matter. Eat. Rest. Heal."

Castiel nodded slowly and didn't argue. He bit into the bread.

* * *

Good, bad? Please let me know! And if there's anything you really want to see in this story, feel free to let me know, and I'll see if I can work it in ;) thanks so much for reviewing! Please continue to do so!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	3. Chapter 3

I know the story seems to be progressing slowly, but I don't want to jump into things too quickly...so please bear with me! I was glad to see that people seem to like this story enough to review ;) Thanks so much, you guys who have done so! And also, thank you to those of you who have put this story on alert and added it to your favorites. It really means a lot!

Okay. Sam is introduced in this chapter, but he is eighteen. I'm not sure if I'm going to make it so that he and Dean _are_ brothers but are only a year apart, or if I'm going to make them unrelated. I dunno yet...but I guess we'll find out later on, eh? Hehe anyway.

I am dead tired right...took sleeping pills...ugh...asldfjasdoufsd...heh yeah try pronouncing that. Anywho!

I know there was something I wanted to say here, but I'm too tired to really think of it.

I will mention that, as of right now, I only have a few of the characters to be mentioned: Michael, Gabriel, Jo, Bobby, John, Anna, Lillith, Azazel, Ruby, and Alistair. As I said, those are who are planned to make an appearance at some point, but I make no promises, so don't get your hopes up, 'kay? 'kay.

Also, I would like to say that I know there are genetics behind the eye color and everything, but I didn't want to go too into detail with that. I barely mentioned it, and I classified eye colors due to that. Basically, if you have been with a Green Eye, you get a Hazel Eye if the baby isn't born with one eye color or the other but it's a mixture. Mixtures of all other eyes, if the kid doesn't receive the color from one of their parents but becomes a mixture, will be gray...hope that's not too confusing, lol.

There are no angels or demons or anything like that in this story. Just the Eyes and the powers that come with them, and the attack of what I used to call the 'White Eyes', but I'm not even sure if I'm going to keep that in this story or not. Don't know why I'm saying this, but...lol yeah.

Anyway, I'm sorry for this long ramble...hehe most of you have probably already skipped it, so...lol yeah. And I'm too tired to type anymore.

I will say this, though...if there are any mistakes or typos or something, it's because I'm so bloody tired I can barely see the screen at the moment. But I write the best when I'm on sleeping pills for some reason, so...hehe yeah.

Anywho...

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Three

They were all around him. Dean could hear them moving, surrounding him and the Blue Eye as they attempted to make it to the border. To think, all Dean was trying to do was get this stupid Blue Eye out of the Abyss, his home. That was all. And yet, it was causing him so much trouble. The Center had been mostly asleep when Dean had gone there two days ago for bread for the wounded Blue Eye, but now they certainly seemed angry. Fire kept sparking to life in every direction, and Dean wondered how they were going to get out of this.

Or rather, how _he_ was going to get out of this because Castiel was hidden in the bushes, seeing as how he could barely walk and couldn't smoke out of there like Dean could. Then again, with so many Green Eyes around, he wasn't so sure he would be able to make it out even if he _did_ smoke away. Clenching his jaw, he looked into the bushes where Castiel was sticking his head out, clearly confused and wary of what was going to happen next. Dean glared until Castiel ducked back into the cover of the bushes, out of sight and out of mind, unless, of course, the Green Eyes decided to set the whole area on fire.

How had this happened? Three rules. Three simple rules to follow and he'd broken them, and look at what it had gotten him! All for some stupid Blue Eye who didn't deserve his help after the way other Eyes treated Green Eyes! But yet here he was, willing to lead the Green Eyes away just so the Blue Eye could make it across the border. He could remember their prior conversation of a few minutes ago.

"If I'm not back in ten minutes, you run. You get out. Don't look back, don't hesitate," Dean had told Castiel.

The Blue Eye had blinked at him in confusion. "What?"

Shaking the thoughts from his head, Dean returned his attention to the approaching sounds. He smoked out of there and darted through the trees like a breath of air, moving quickly and transparently. Figures appeared from all directions, marching like a stampede in the direction he'd just come from. Swallowing thickly, he made it past them and reappeared, releasing a sigh. "Over here," he muttered just loud enough for people to here.

Angry green eyes focused on him with hatred. Almost as one, they turned toward him. Fire sparked to life and he didn't dare smoke away, for that would only leave him burned as well, seeing as how when he smoked away, all he really did was turn into air and gas, which burned easily.

_What have you gotten yourself into, Dean?_ he thought as he turned and started to run. The fire stopped and all around him, Green Eyes smoked after him. A few reappeared in front of him and grabbed hold of his arms before he could twist away. They threw him to the ground and stomped down on his back, forcing him to release a breathless groan as pain seeped through him.

"How could you betray us like that? Your own kind!" an angry Green Eye snapped, sneering down at him. He was kicked in the side and he curled in on himself as though to stave off the pain and protect his stomach.

"I didn't," he uttered. "I didn't betray you. I was just trying to stop a war!"

A harsh kick to his back silenced him and he clenched his eyes tightly closed, trying to ignore the groan rising within him. He wasn't going to give them the satisfactory of hearing it.

"Oh really? They deserve it!" another Green Eye snarled.

"They were going to kill him, and you know others would have come looking for him eventually! Then things would be even worse! Do you want that?" Dean tried to reason with them, but it was like talking to a brick wall. He couldn't convince people who were so angry that they were wrong on their assumptions.

"Let them come! We'll kill them all!" yet another snapped.

"Are you crazy?" Dean growled, glaring up at the Green Eyes around him, wincing when pain flared within him at the movement. "Then they'll _really_ hate us and they'll kill _us_! We can't fight them like that! I was just trying to prevent this from turning into a full-blown war!"

Another kick and he groaned, biting down on his tongue as he threw his head into the ground, pain shooting through him. There was movement around him and someone approached him from the circle around him, kneeling down next to him. He opened his eyes and looked to see a Green Eye reaching for him with a pair of padded handcuffs, and he hissed as he rolled away.

"No," he spat, unwilling to be locked in those…_things_. Those weren't normal handcuffs…not with those symbols on them. No, they would render him helpless. That was their purpose, anyway - to hinder the power granted to any given Eye so long as they were locked onto the person. And he wasn't going to let that happen. Not really thinking and only wanting to get away, he reached out and pulled the guy toward him, biting down on his arm the moment the Green Eye let his guard down. Then he jumped to his feet, tore free from prying hands, and smoked out of there as quickly as possible.

There was no pain when he was smoking. His physical body didn't exist, just his mind, and thus there was no pain. For a moment, he allowed himself to float freely, reveling in the painless feeling. Then he zoomed through the trees, back in the direction of Castiel while the other Green Eyes started to spread through the area, hopefully going in the wrong direction.

He reappeared ungracefully near the bushes where Castiel was hidden. Staggering, he grunted out the Blue Eye's name and Castiel poked his head out, frowning deeply. "Dean," he murmured, trying to get up. Dean shook his head and helped the Blue Eye to his feet. "You're hurt…"

"No shit," Dean growled. "Be quiet. We have to hurry or they're going to find us." He urged the Blue Eye forward, wanting to pick up the pace even though he knew Castiel probably wouldn't be able to handle it at the moment, what with his broken ankle. Dean could only soothe the pain - he couldn't take it away completely, nor could he heal the injury. "We have to move faster, Blue Eye."

"Castiel," the Blue Eye corrected him.

"Whatever. C'mon." He moved a little faster, allowing the Blue Eye to lean against him for the time being just so they could go a little quicker. The border was close, at least in this area. It was marked by a large rock formation, which signaled the end or beginning of the Abyss, depending on which way one was going.

He sighed heavily.

Things weren't looking so great for him…and probably not for Castiel, either.

As they crossed the border out of the Abyss, passing the rock formation that looked like a jagged tooth, he felt as though he were diving from one frying pan and into another.

The question was, though, which one would be the deadliest?

Being in the Abyss, where the Green Eyes wanted to kill him for helping a Blue Eye, or being out of the Abyss, where other Eyes wouldn't take too kindly to him simply because he was a Green Eye?

* * *

Sam lived on the edge, almost literally. There was a cliff next to his ramshackle house that was only one story and with no upstairs or basement. It leaked in the rain and shook when it stormed, but he wasn't going to complain, at least not much. His house was centered in a small clearing of trees next to the edge of the cliff. He had to admit that he enjoyed the view and the breeze, but sometimes he didn't like living so far away from any sort of civilization. He lived dangerously close to the Abyss, and miles away from the nearest town. People tended to steer clear of the border of the Abyss, for various reasons, mainly because the Green Eyes were considered to be the spawn of the devil and were evil, vile Eyes.

Sam wasn't sure he believed all the hype about Green Eyes. After all, his mother had been a Green Eye. His mother had been a Green Eye and his father a Brown Eye, thus giving him hazel eyes and labeling him as such, which really wasn't all that fun, when one thought about it. As a Hazel Eye, he had very little ability over anything. He could only levitate small objects, even though a full-blown Brown Eye could levitate practically anything - but not anything too big - and could even make themselves fly if they thought about levitating themselves.

He also had very little power over fire. He couldn't create it, could only bend a small flame to his will. It was hard, though, like concentrating on melting salt, which simply was nearly impossible. He didn't like bending fire. It always left him with a horrible headache and beads of sweat dripping down his face. He had heard the Green Eyes could 'smoke', but what that meant, he had no idea, so he'd never really tried doing it as well. What was the point in trying to do something when he didn't even know what it was? For all he knew, 'smoking' was just a fancy term for saying that Green Eyes enjoyed their cigarettes very thoroughly, enough to be named for it.

Shaking his head, Sam sank down into the tattered, navy blue couch. It was his father's old one, but his father, John, wasn't here anymore. John rarely came by but he lived in town. He mostly showed up when he brought Sam supplies so he didn't have to go there himself. Most other Eyes didn't take too kindly to Hazel Eyes, after all, claiming that they were Half-Eyes, or half breeds, for mixing with the wicked Green Eyes.

In truth, Hazel Eyes weren't treated all that better than Green Eyes, except that they could actually _go_ into a town without getting attacked. Sometimes Sam felt bad for the Green Eyes, but he figured they brought it on themselves, and now he was getting attacked for their mistakes, simply because his mother had been a Green Eye. If Green Eyes were so bad, then why had John copulated with one in the first place? Why couldn't he have done the deed with a Blue Eye, or a Gray Eye? Someone higher up on the chain of Eyes…someone that was _not_ a Green Eye, the lowest of the low.

Sam didn't really hate the Green Eyes…no, because in truth, he had never even seen one before. He'd heard they didn't come out of the Abyss, and people didn't go into the Abyss without reason, and without first setting it up with the Green Eyes so that they could have safe passage. That just proved that Green Eyes were vicious, right? Eyes had to call ahead to even enter the area, and then the Green Eyes had to blame the other Eyes for everything, when they were the ones keeping people from helping.

Why he was living near the border of the Abyss, he wasn't really sure. He just knew this house was pretty cozy, if not at least a little lonely, but he wasn't going to worry about that. No one bothered him here and he didn't have to worry about those horrible stares when people realized what he was - a Half-Eye…a Hazel Eye.

It was different, being a mixture of color. Though, usually, when one mixed with an Eye of a different color, the color either came being one color or the other, or it came out gray, which was just under the Blue Eyes on the chain of Eyes. The only ones to come out hazel were when someone created a child with a dreaded Green Eye.

Sighing, Sam shook those thoughts away. He wasn't going to be like the others, or so he told himself. He wasn't going to judge a Green Eye…at least, he hoped he didn't, but it was hard not to stereotype them, what with everything he'd heard thus far about them. He picked up a book from the table in front of the couch and started reading, the only light coming from the small lamp across the room.

It was cold. It was starting to storm outside, but what better time to read? The heat would kick on soon, at least Sam hoped so. And if it didn't, he had a blanket in the other room he could grab if he got too cold.

Rain pelted down on the old house, sounding thunderously loud, but Sam didn't mind. He was used to it.

There was a knock at the door a moment later, startling Sam from his book. Frowning, his heart lurched in his chest. Who could it be? No one came here, unless it was his father, and that was only on Mondays. Today was Thursday.

He stood slowly and stretched out his long legs. He was tall for his eighteen years, but then again, he always had been. He'd grown like a weed a few years ago, and seemingly hadn't stopped. He hoped he was done growing now, though. He didn't want to get too tall. Then that would have just been another reason for people to stare at him, and it wasn't like he needed that…at all.

He moved slowly toward the door and took a breath before prying it open. His mind froze momentarily as he stared at the two figures standing just outside his door, getting pelted by rain. Without thinking, he ushered them quickly inside, his heart racing in his chest. Neither of these two looked good, eyes downcast and guarded by the shadows, their faces pale and bloody. One, the guy with black hair, was leaning on the guy with blonde hair as though for dear life, fingers clasped into clothing with a cold, wet grip due to the rain. Sam could see the makeshift splint around the guy's leg, but it would soon have to be replaced, the rain dragging it down with the weight of the added water.

"Shit, hold on," Sam told him quickly, "I'll just go get-" He broke off when the blonde looked up and he caught sight of bright green eyes. _A Green Eye!_ his mind screamed at him while he stood there, frozen, staring. _A real life Green Eye! Trouble! Do something!_ So he snarled and narrowed his eyes. This Green Eye was probably the one that had hurt this other guy in the first place. The black-haired guy looked up, confused at the silence, and Sam saw blue eyes, bright and rimmed with intense pain. There was a soft glow around the two of them now, a sort of humming sensation piercing through Sam's skin, and the hue that encircled the Green Eye and the Blue Eye was a light red color. "Step away from him, Green Eye!" Sam growled, moving forward as though to forcibly remove the Green Eye if necessary. He hoped it didn't come to that, though, because he really wasn't much of a fighter.

The Green Eye blinked at him. "Let me put him down first…the couch?"

Sam growled and reached forward, not even hearing the Green Eye's softly spoken words as he grabbed the Blue Eye by the arm as though to drag him away from the Green Eye himself. He wasn't expecting the Blue Eye to shrink away from his touch warily, his narrowed slightly and dark with pain.

The Green Eye moved toward the couch and Sam growled low in his throat. The Blue Eye was placed gently on the couch. It was obvious to see that the Blue Eye was stiff, his body sore and aching as he winced with practically every movement, his clothes soaked due to the rain. He didn't release his grip on the Green Eye's shirt, though, and so the Green Eye sat next to him, watching Sam. Sam stalked forward angrily.

"I said go away! You don't belong here!" he spat, wondering what was wrong with him. Hadn't he said he wouldn't judge Green Eyes? But look at what this one had done to this poor Blue Eye! And he still had the nerve to get the Blue Eye to grip his shirt tightly, had the nerve to sit next to him!

"I'll go," the Green Eye said quickly, "don't be so damn picky!" Green eyes narrowed at him and then the Green Eye stood, removing the Blue Eye's hand from his shirt. The Blue Eye looked up at him, pained and confused.

Sam quickly moved forward and shoved the Green Eye away. "I said get out! What the hell are you even doing out of the Abyss?"

The Green Eye growled. "Don't fucking touch me, Hazel Eye! I've been chased and beaten and hobbling for the past day and half, so just shut up! I just came to help him get here safely! I'm on my way out." Stiff with anger, the Green Eye marched toward the door, not even sparing a second glance at Sam or back toward the Blue Eye.

The Blue Eye focused in on the Green Eye. "Dean, wait," he gasped, shifting on the couch, reaching down to clasp a hand to his broken ankle. The Green Eye, Dean, kept moving toward the door, his hand wrapping around the knob to turn it and leave, to disappear into the rain beyond. Sam watched him impatiently. The sooner this Green Eye was out of his house and away from the two of them, the better, right? "Please…"

Dean paused at the door and turned slowly, tired green eyes focusing first at Sam and then at the Blue Eye.

"Go," Sam snapped.

"I'm going!" Dean turned and threw the door open violently, quickly stepping outside and into the rain. He slammed the door behind him without a word, without a second look, and Sam breathed a sigh of relief.

_Finally._

He turned and looked at the Blue Eye, who was staring at the door with pain and disbelief.

* * *

Castiel stared at the door Dean had just stormed out of, his heart racing. The pain was more intense now, as though Dean had somehow been keeping it at bay so that the two of them could move quicker, but now that he was gone, the pain was practically unbearable. Closing his eyes, Castiel brought a trembling hand to his forehead and took in a shaky breath through the agony.

The guy, a Hazel Eye, moved toward him. Castiel could hear him, could feel it as the side next to him on the couch shifted slightly beneath he person's weight. A hand went to his shoulder in concern and he flinched away involuntarily. The touch didn't feel right. It felt cold and unwanted, and he'd had enough of feeling like that lately.

"Take it easy," the Hazel Eye said, his voice every bit as kind as it had been angry a moment ago, until Dean had left.

Dean left.

He just…left. Took off. Didn't disappear, at least not in that vanishing sort of way, but he left just the same. Walked out into the rain and didn't even look back.

"Dean…" he murmured, looking at the door as though hoping Dean would barge through at any given moment, but he didn't. The door remained close and Sam touched his arm again. He flinched away once more, not able to help himself.

"Calm down, he's gone," the Hazel Eye told him as though that was supposed to reassure him and make him feel even the slightest bit better. But it didn't…it didn't do either. "I'm Sam, by the way."

Castiel nodded curtly. "Castiel." He locked his eyes on the door, willing it to open, but it never did.

"He won't hurt you anymore, if that's what you're worried about," Sam said, watching him momentarily.

"Dean."

"The Green Eye? Yeah. If he comes back, I'll get rid of him. Promise. You're safe here."

Castiel shook his head. How was he supposed to explain to this Hazel Eye that _Dean_ hadn't been the one to hurt him, hadn't been the one kicking him and hitting him every few seconds. No, he had been the one who _saved_ him, the one who'd made the pain _stop._ Sure, Green Eyes were involved in his beating, but not Dean.

Dean wasn't bad…right? At least, Castiel didn't want to think so, anyway. But people were rarely who they seemed to be these days.

"Did he do this to you?" Sam asked, anger burning in his Hazel Eyes. Anger for Dean, _because_ of Dean, just because he was a Green Eye.

"No…" Castiel murmured, because it was the truth. His vision was spinning and the pain felt like it was eating him alive, but he was still going to speak true. "Others…"

"Others?"

"Other Green Eyes…Dean helped me."

"Yeah right. He probably planned it." Sam snorted. "Just so you would trust him."

Castiel narrowed his eyes. "Why would you say that? Why…do you hate Green Eyes so much?"

"I don't hate them…I just know they're evil, every one of them," Sam said, but there was something in his tone of voice that let Castiel know that Sam didn't necessarily believe the words he was saying. Still, though, he was saying them, and Castiel groaned.

"No…he helped me. Got hurt because of it, too. Wasn't him. Promise." It was hard to even form a simple sentence at the moment.

Sam's brow furrowed.

The pain grew, ripping through him as though he were made of better and the pain were the steak knife. He cringed and sank further into the tattered, worn cushions of the couch, trying to be as still as possible, as though that would help in some way, somehow.

"Dean," Castiel murmured, because Dean could help. He could help make the pain stop, or at least make it so that it was less severe.

"Dean? The Green Eye? What about him?"

"Dean…want Dean…make it stop…" He clenched his eyes tightly closed, releasing a pained, shaky breath. Sam jumped to his feet next to him.

"What can I do to help?"

"…Get…Dean…"

"I'm not chasing down that Green Eye," Sam said with a growl.

"Dean…"

"Did I hear my name?" a familiar, welcome voice said. Castiel opened his eyes to see Dean standing in front of him, grinning slowly before he looked at Sam. Sam wasn't amused in the slightest. In fact, he looked practically livid.

"What the hell? I said get out!" Sam snapped.

"No," Castiel uttered, reaching out to grab the sleeve of Dean's jacket. "Don't."

He didn't want Dean to go. He felt safer with Dean there, more secure, and it was so much better when the Green Eye was around. The pain didn't seem as intense and he didn't feel cold.

"He has to go," Sam said to Castiel.

Castiel rapidly shook his head. "No. He helped. Didn't do it. Honest."

Short, choppy sentences seemed to be all he was really capable of forming at the moment.

Dean sighed. "Well…looks like I'm staying." He looked confused but he didn't question it, for which Castiel was grateful. The pain was already diminishing, and was that just the fact that his world was spinning, or was there a red hue surrounding Dean and filtering toward him as Dean grabbed his wrist and closed his eyes? What was Dean doing? The red hue…it seemed so strange and Castiel almost pulled his hand free, but stopped himself when warmth flooded through him, seemingly coming from that link.

What was going on?

But he didn't care enough to question it…he just let his tired eyes fall closed and then he was torn away from consciousness.

* * *

So...good, bad? What do you think? Is it going too slow? Too rushed? Please feel free to let me know! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, and I hope that you will continue doing so in the future, i.e. this chapter...lol jk. Anyway, thanks again! I really appreciate it!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews! I really, truly do appreciate it! Honest! You guys are making me want to actually keep working on this story ;) It's quite fun to write, actually, haha. I think John will make an appearance next chapter, but I make no promises. It just depends on how much I want to put into that chapter, but if he doesn't show up in chapter five, he will be in chapter six, promise!

Since I haven't really been too thorough with the ages as of yet - but they will be mentioned later - I will go ahead and say the important ones.

Dean-19  
Sam-18  
Castiel-just turned 20  
John-38  
Bobby-39  
Gabriel-22  
Michael-25  
Anna-24  
Azazel-20  
Alistair-24  
Lillith-21  
Jo-17

Those are the main-ish ones right now, or at least the ones that I really have planned to be in here. Yes, Azazel, Lillith, and Alistair will be in here ;) There is a fun twist with them. Anyway! I've rambled enough. Thank you so much for reading and please continue to review! Also, feel free to let me know if there is anything you would like me to add into this story!

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Four

Dean wasn't sure why he was still here, in this run-down house with a Blue Eye and a Hazel Eye, both of which should have hated him immediately, and he should have hated them in return. Well, the Hazel Eye disliked him greatly…that much was fairly obvious from the seething looks that Sam, as he'd learned his name was, kept tossing at him whenever the opportunity presented itself. Honestly, Dean wasn't sure why he'd stayed. It wasn't like he owned anyone anything, right?

But where else was he supposed to go? It wasn't like he could go back to the Abyss, not when so many Green Eyes were after him for helping a Blue Eye who had trespassed. Still, though, that didn't mean he had to stay _here_. But where else, then? He was a Green Eye…it wasn't like he could just stroll into town and strike up conversations with people, and he couldn't smoke around all the time. He would eventually have to present himself and then what would happen?

The thought of those dreaded handcuffs, the padded ones that would render him helpless, made him shiver involuntarily. He hated to think of them, of them around his wrists, locking him away from his power, his fire. Sure, most Eyes thought the fire to be demonic, but it was _his_. He had grown with the fire, trained with the fire…it was a part of him and the thought of being unable to feel it, of being unable to use it…the thought was honestly terrifying, to be completely helpless and vulnerable…

He shut those thoughts down quick, unwilling to think on them for too long. Instead, he focused in on the couch he was sitting on and the Blue Eye next to him. It wasn't like he was fond of the Blue Eye or anything, it was just that he liked Castiel a hell of a lot better than Sam at the moment. Sam glared every chance he got, tried to kick him out time and time again, and locked the door on him when he got the chance. If it wasn't for Dean's ability to smoke through the cracks and reappear on the other side, he would have been trapped outside, he knew.

So yeah, he liked Castiel a lot better than Sam. Castiel actually smiled around him, which was strange. He'd never been smiled at by another Eye before, and rarely even by Green Eyes, seeing as how he'd mostly just known those in the Control. Those in the Center, though, like the mothers and children…they were nice. Like a family.

He'd never known his family. His mother had died giving birth to him and his father…well, no one knew who it was or where he was, and thus Dean had been handed over to the Control at a very young age, where he'd met his best friend. The two of them had practically grown up together, and so when he was killed, when he disappeared so suddenly…it had torn at Dean's heart savagely, and he'd vowed to get revenge.

Only…wasn't this like betraying the very thought of revenge, to be helping a Green Eye and staying with a Hazel Eye? He felt like he was, but he couldn't really stop himself from doing it. Where else was he going to go?

He had no home. Not anymore.

The thought actually made something prick painfully at his eyes, something salty and wet, and he grimaced. _No way am I crying. Get it together, Dean. Now,_ his mind snapped at him, and he took in a deep breath to calm himself as he glanced at Castiel. "Where's Sam?" he asked, even though he didn't really care to know, seeing as how the Hazel Eye hated him, and the feeling was very mutual at the moment. Still, though, it was a nice distraction.

"I think he went for a walk," Castiel replied, sighing as he rubbed absently at his broken ankle. There was a proper wrapping around it now, and it was still in a makeshift splint, but a new one. Sam had done this one, even though Castiel hadn't seemed to like the thought of someone touching him. He flinched away almost every time anyone reached for him, unless he absolutely needed it, which left Dean wondering what exactly the Blue Eye had been through.

He'd tried to ask Castiel about it earlier, a few days ago, but had received a vague answer of, "I don't really remember".

He hadn't asked again.

"Ankle bothering you?" Dean asked, opting for a change of subject yet again.

"Always, anymore," Castiel murmured regretfully. His blue gaze shifted toward Dean slowly, almost hesitantly. "It's…really starting to hurt again. Could you…?"

Dean paused and wondered why he was doing this. Then he nodded. "Sure. Prop your leg up on the table." Castiel did so and Dean reached a hand out, wrapping it lightly around the broken ankle, allowing his fire to turn into a soothing warmth that hummed through him and into Castiel's leg. He couldn't completely take the pain away, but he could soothe it, almost like a heating pad would, only this was a little more intense. Plus, if he focused, he could make it affect only one part of the body. Why he was doing this for the Blue Eye, he didn't know.

He just knew he didn't like to see Castiel suffering more than he already had. Call him crazy, but it was true.

He didn't ponder on it, mostly because he didn't really want to think about why he was doing this, why he was helping this Blue Eye when technically, Castiel was his enemy…an enemy of all Green Eyes.

Except, was that any better than other Eyes thinking all Green Eyes were demonic bastards and bitches, evil and cruel? He couldn't just place Castiel in with those other Blue Eyes who had done nothing when that rash of killings had taken place. No, he couldn't do that, or he wouldn't be any better than the other Eyes. And he didn't like that thought, the thought of turning into an animal like them.

The door opened suddenly, so quickly that Dean smoked out of there as soon as possible, vanishing from beside the couch to float in the air, near the ceiling, an incorporeal, transparent form just hovering there while he looked down near the couch, where Castiel looked confused as he searched for him. Sam stood near the door, frowning, as though he had expected Dean to be there. Cool air coursed through the room and Dean realized that the reason the door had opened like that was because it had been attacked by a burst of quick air at the exact moment it was opening.

Slowly, he floated back down to hover next to the couch, feeling as though the wind were going to tear him away from the ceiling if he stayed there any longer. Sam closed the door and moved toward the couch, frowning at Castiel.

"Where's the Green Eye?"

"Dean."

"Huh?"

"His name is Dean," Castiel said.

"Whatever. Where is he? I thought he was like your own personal watchdog."

Dean nearly scoffed at the thought, except his transparent, smoky form had no physical voice so it wouldn't have done any good anyway. He wasn't, in any way, shape, or form, Castiel's _watchdog_. Just the thought made him slightly angry, especially for Sam to infer that Dean was supposed to be by the Blue Eye at all times, which he wasn't. He was his own damn person.

"He disappeared."

"Yeah…how's he do that?" Sam asked, sitting next to Castiel on the couch.

Castiel shrugged slowly, wincing when he pulled at no-doubt sore muscles. Those Green Eyes had really worked him over. "I don't know."

Sighing, Dean allowed himself to smoke back into existence behind the couch, where he then walked around to face Castiel and Sam. Sam blinked at him and then scowled.

"Run off, huh?" Sam asked.

Dean shrugged, figuring it was best to just not get into it with the Hazel Eye at the moment. Instead, he looked at Castiel. "Ankle feel any better?" he asked, wondering why he was even doing so and why he even cared. This was a Blue Eye! What the hell was wrong with him?

Castiel nodded. "Yes, thank you."

Sam rolled his eyes, clearly unhappy that Dean was there and that he was actually helping Castiel. The Hazel Eye looked at the Blue Eye. "You sure you don't want me to take you to town?"

The implied _because the Green Eye can't go there_ made Dean bristle angrily. He turned and vanished, smoking out of there and out of there house, venturing outside to just dart through the area.

Indeed, smoking was a great was to clear his head.

* * *

Castiel frowned as Dean disappeared from the room. A cool yet warm breeze shot past him, toward the door, and he sighed, looking at Sam. "Why do you do that?" he couldn't help but ask, feeling a little puzzled.

"Do what?" Sam asked, frowning. "I'm just trying to help you."

"You're very rude to him."

"He's a Green Eye," Sam said with a shrug.

Castiel's frown deepened. He knew people tended to hate Green Eyes, but he couldn't really see why…well, okay, he could see why _he_ would dislike them…they had beaten him up, after all, but they weren't Dean. _Dean_ hadn't been the one to hurt him. No, he'd helped him, had come back for him and had wound up sticking with him. He helped soothe the pain, and in Castiel's mind, anyone who would do that for him couldn't have been all bad.

He really didn't want to believe that Dean was evil like most people claimed Green Eyes to be. Why was it right to judge people so harshly just because they had happened to be born with green eyes instead of a different color, like gray or brown or blue? It didn't make much sense to him, but then that was probably why he had been practically neglected in his training, because he didn't share the beliefs that all Green Eyes were evil. He believed in giving people, even Green Eyes, the benefit of a doubt.

He didn't want to think of Dean as an evil Green Eye.

"Why do you judge him so harshly?" Castiel question, shifting painfully on the couch. Sure, they had been staying with Sam for around three days now, but he was still very sore. His wounds were still raw, but clean, thanks to Sam, who had helped bandage him thoroughly. Castiel's ankle seemed to always be on fire with pain, except for those occasions when Dean would rest his hand gentle on it.

"He's a Green Eye. Why wouldn't I?"

"Does he _look_ evil to you?" Castiel muttered, narrowing his eyes, growing tired of the way Sam was treating Dean. If he kept that up, he wasn't sure how much longer Dean would stick around, and he had to admit that he didn't like the thought of Dean just leaving him there with Sam. It wasn't that he disliked Sam - no, that wasn't the case at all. It was just…he felt more comfortable around Dean. Dean had helped him, had saved him and gotten him out of the Abyss, and maybe that was just him connecting with his savior, but he wanted Dean to stay. He _wanted_ the Green Eye around, as strange as that sounded even to his own ears.

Sam frowned. "That doesn't matter. He's just acting."

Maybe…

Only, Castiel wasn't so sure. He wanted to believe that there was good in Dean, that he wasn't cruel and cold like people thought Green Eyes to be. It hurt to think of Dean like that, and he hated the thought. Sure, Dean had been reluctant to help him at all, at first, but that had changed and he'd wound up helping Castiel more than anyone else ever had before, at least that he could remember.

There were massive gaps in his memory, even though he wasn't sure why. He remembered a few snippets here and there of his childhood, but nothing too concrete, and nothing about recently, about why he would have been hurt like that when Dean had found him in the Abyss. He had no idea how that had happened, how he'd gotten there, but he hoped he found out soon. He didn't like have missing pieces of his past.

"I don't think he is," Castiel finally murmured, leaving out the, _at least I hope he's not_.

Sam shrugged. "He's a Green Eye. Just like a leopard can't change it's spots."

"Why do you believe all Green Eyes to be evil?" Castiel narrowed his eyes. "Have you ever even come across a Green Eye before, to hate them so much already?"

That seemed to give Sam pause, because the Hazel Eye froze and went quiet, glaring at the ground for a long moment, before he slowly shook his head. "I know…I've never seen one before, and I told myself I wouldn't judge them, but…" He bit down hard on his lower lip, hesitating. "I guess it's just hard, when you're actually faced with the color, _not_ to judge them like that, like everyone else."

"He's not bad."

"You don't even know him."

Castiel frowned because that was true. He nothing about Dean. But he knew enough to know that Dean wasn't a bad person, a bad Eye. "I know he's not evil, like you think him to be. Just because he's a Green Eye…doesn't mean he's cruel. He saved me. Twice."

Twice. The first time being when Dean had saved him from those other Green Eyes, and then the second time being when Dean had managed to get them both out of the Abyss. Castiel had no doubt in his mind that if he had stayed in the Abyss, he and Dean both would have been killed. Maybe Dean wasn't a bad Green Eye, but that didn't mean the others weren't.

_But they've been abused and accused for so long,_ a voice in his mind told him suddenly. _How would you react if given the chance to get revenge after so long of suffering like that, like the Green Eyes do?_

He honestly didn't have an answer.

* * *

It was later that night when Sam decided to finally talk to the Green Eye. It wasn't easy, though, as he soon learned. Dean was making sure to avoid him as much as possible, probably because of the accusatory glances Sam kept sending him, but in Sam's defense, he _was_ a Green Eye. How was he supposed to act with a Green Eye staying at his house?

He finally managed to grab Dean's arm when the Green Eye was moving to the back room, where he had been staying. It was the smallest room in the house, only really large enough for a bed, but Dean seemed content with it. Half the time, Sam wasn't even sure if he used the room or not, but he always emerged from there in the morning.

"What?" Dean snapped at him, glaring as he narrowed his bright green eyes. "I'm not bothering you."

Sam opened his mouth and then shut it again, releasing Dean's arm. "Can we talk?" he asked quietly, slowly, glancing over at where Castiel was resting on the couch. The Blue Eye didn't like to move much, but every night, he helped him into the other spare bedroom, which was actually the size of a room and not just like some closet, like what Dean had.

Dean's eyes narrowed into small, suspicious slits. "About?" he asked, pursing his lips as he folded his arms across his chest defensively.

Sam hated that he'd made Dean that uncomfortable, but then again, how else was he supposed to treat a Green Eye? _I told myself I wouldn't judge them like that…but I'm just like everyone else…what an idiot…_ He shook his head and sighed. "I just…can we talk outside? Just real quick?"

"Fine." Dean disappeared without warning, vanishing right before Sam's eyes. One minute, he was there, arms crossed, and then the next, Sam was looking at empty air. There was no gradual fade, no sound to go with it, just a sudden disappearance that left him gaping. He knew Dean disappeared and everything, but he'd never actually _seen_ it happen before.

Swallowing, he walked out the door and found Dean waiting for him outside. "How do you do that?" he asked.

Dean shrugged. "How do you breathe?" he shot back.

Sam sighed. "Whatever…what do you call it?"

"Smoking."

"Smoking? What do cigarettes have to do with anything?" Sam asked, frowning in confusion.

Dean's brow twisted in amusement. "Nothing. It's just what it's called. We smoke….or vanish. Has to do with the 'fire thing'."

Sam frowned. "Okay, then…um…" He shifted nervously and took in a deep breath, knowing that it was now or never. "Listen…I'm sorry for…how I've been treating you."

Dean stared at him in utter confusion.

"I mean…Castiel seems to think you're okay, even for a Green Eye, and you did save him and everything, and…I'm sorry. I guess I should have listened instead of just…judging you right away. But…it's hard, you know? I guess I was expecting to see a monster with green eyes, like people always say…"

Dean looked at the ground, hands clenching into fists at his sides.

"But instead, you're just like me…a normal person who is accused just because of the color of their eyes…" Sam sighed heavily. "I'm sorry it took me so long to…_not_ judge you."

Dean shrugged slowly. "I'm used to it. I don't really give a damn anymore."

Except Sam could see through the lie, and he knew that his previous behavior had been grating on Dean's feelings.

_A Green Eye with feelings…he's just like me. How could I have…judged him like that?_

"I'm sorry," Sam repeated, feeling like an idiot, but he didn't know what else to say.

Dean shrugged again. "Doesn't really matter, Sam. I don't care anymore. I'm a Green Eye and I'm a monster. I get it."

Sam's brow furrowed. "No - I'm trying to say that you're _not_ a monster just because you're a Green Eye. You…don't seem like a bad person…"

"Gee, thanks," Dean snorted.

"I'm trying to apologize here," Sam snapped, glaring. "What do you want from me? Don't tell me you didn't judge me the moment you got here!"

"I'm not saying I didn't!" Dean snapped back angrily. "I saw you were a Hazel Eye. I saw that your eyes were green, and I judged you. I thought you were evil, had to pay for what you've been doing to Green Eyes, just like I thought of Castiel when I first met him. Except, _I got over it_! I didn't keep blaming you, didn't keep glaring and yelling at you! I didn't keep _hating_ you!"

Sam blinked, startled. "You…don't hate me?"

Dean suddenly appeared very tired, his shoulders slumping a little. "Life's too short for hate. I'm tired of feeling like that. I'm tried of…of _blaming_ people for things that happened in the past, of grouping everyone together just because of their eye color. Sure, people have…treated Green Eyes horribly in the past. Sure, they refused to help us when we needed them the most, but…not _all_ the other Eyes were like that, just a select few, and _they_ are the ones who I hate, not everyone else." The Green Eye shook his head slowly. "I guess I just got tired of hating _everyone_."

Sam swallowed. "I'm…sorry. I shouldn't have…jumped to conclusions like that. Can't we just…I don't know…start over or something?" He stuck out his hand. "Let's be civilized like the good Eyes we are. Hi! My name is Sam."

A faint smile ghosted across Dean's face as he stuck his hand out as well, clasping Sam's in a warm grip. Sam was surprised at how warm his hands were. Then again, Green Eyes were basically fire, so… "Hello, Sam. I'm Dean."

"Welcome to my house," Sam declared, smiling.

* * *

Anyway...I hope Sam's character isn't too shifty or confusing! I'm not feeling so well right now, what with this horrible headache, but I wanted to go ahead and get this chapter done. Remember, feel free to let me know if there is anything you really want me to add into this story! A few people have mentioned that they want Sam/Gabriel pairing, but I can also make other pairings, just let me know! Please continue reviewing! Thanks!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you to all who have been reading this story! You make me want to keep writing, and this is a fun idea! I'm having a lot of fun writing it, and the ideas and possible plots for this are just...wow! Thank you all so much for keeping me motivated with your wonderful reviews!

And an extra big thanks to **Briankrause** and **Arianna Galloway** for allowing me to bounce ideas off of them and for giving me inspiration and possible powers! You have both given me much to think about, and I just wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my heart! I really appreciate it, guys, thanks. ;)

So far, I have this narrowed into three books.  
1: Green Eyes  
2: Golden Eyes  
3: Violet Eyes

Hopefully things will work out and I can get them all written! I have a fun plot for book 3, anyway, lol ;) But it depends on how long I want this book to be. I might just combine Green Eyes and Golden Eyes, not sure yet.

Also, just to let you know, I have _not_ forgotten about Hear Me Now! I will start the final chapter within the hour, hopefully, and then I will also write the epilogue. They should both be up no later than Monday ;) At least I hope so, haha. I tentatively promise you this.

New characters mentioned here: John

Next upcoming character: Bobby (probably either next chapter or two chapters from now)

Anyway, thanks again! Please continue to read and review! It keeps the story going!

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Five

Castiel woke confused, which wasn't the first time it had happened, but still. Dean and Sam were actually being friendly toward each other, which struck him as very odd, but he wasn't going to question it, liking the fact that they could be friends. They were outside, talking, and although Castiel couldn't hear what they were saying, he could see them since the door was still open. The two shook hands and Castiel smiled, liking that they seemed to be getting along. He was tired of Sam blaming Dean for everything, just because Dean was a Green Eye.

A twinge caught in his leg and he shifted uneasily, wincing greatly as he did so, a whimper catching in his throat. His ankle shifted, the bone moving even thought the splint should have been keeping it still. Looking down, he saw that the splint had come loose and his ankle felt like it were being sawed into. "Dean," he hissed with pain before he could stop himself, bringing his leg toward him as he clutched at the ankle tightly, as though to soothe the pain like Dean did when he touching it. It didn't seem to be happening, though, so Castiel said again a little louder, "Dean."

Dean turned his head and frowned, suddenly vanishing and appearing next to Castiel on the couch. "What's wrong?" he asked while Sam walked into the house, looking a little confused.

"Ankle," Castiel groaned. "Please?"

Dean nodded once and then placed a gentle hand on his ankle, pushing his own hands away. Castiel let go easily, breathing a heavy sigh of relief when the warmth flooded through him. Closing his eyes, he leaned back heavily, feeling drained due to all the pain he seemed to feel these days. Without noticing it, he began to topple sideways. He wasn't really aware of it until he felt Dean's arms slid around him, keeping him from falling into him. Castiel blinked his eyes open and frowned as Dean steadied him and then released him.

"Take it easy, Blue Eye," Dean said with a smirk.

"Castiel," he corrected again. Why Dean seemed to keep forgetting that, he didn't know. It wasn't like it was really a hard name to remember or anything. Besides, he hated being called by his eye color. It felt like his entire existence was labeled by his eye color and he had nothing else, not even a name.

The pain eased and Dean released his ankle. "How do you do that?" Sam questioned, moving closer to the couch as though to see what had happened, even though there was really nothing to see.

Dean shrugged. "Comes with being a Green Eye, I guess. Hard to explain. I can…soothe the pain but I can't heal or take it completely away."

Castiel sighed. "Thank you, Dean," he said quietly.

Dean nodded, looking confused at the words of gratitude. He probably wasn't very used to the fact that people actually could respect and thank Green Eyes. Dean shifted away, looking distinctly uneasy and nervous, his fingers drumming absently at his knees.

Castiel sighed and opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it, not sure of what to say. What could he say to the Green Eye? He wasn't even sure how to form the words he wanted to use.

Sam sighed and left the room, headed toward the kitchen.

"So…you and Sam are friends now, huh?" he asked, opting for a change of subject.

Dean shrugged. "Not really. We just…sort of came to an understanding."

"Well, that's great," Castiel said with a smile. "I was getting tired of you two hating each other."

"I didn't hate him."

Castiel paused. "But you know what I mean. It's nice that…I don't have to worry about you two fighting now."

Dean smirked. "That's always a possibility with me around," he said, chuckling as he shook his head and got to his feet, running his fingers through his short, spiky hair. "I'm starving. How 'bout you, Blue Eye?"

"Castiel," he said with a scowl.

"That's too…formal," Dean said, wrinkling his nose at it. "And I don't _do_ formal."

"Then what would you have me be called?" Castiel asked, hobbling to his feet, thankful that Dean's warmth of his soothing was still there and that his ankle didn't start to throb immediately.

Dean shrugged. "Dunno, Blue Eye. C'mon. I'm hungry." He moved toward the kitchen, pausing long enough for Castiel to catch up with him, which the Blue Eye thought was rather nice of him to do. Together, they entered the kitchen and found Sam making sandwiches near the counter next to the refrigerator, which was old and humming loudly. Dean hesitated slightly before moving toward the Hazel Eye, his movements somewhat cautious and unsure. "Need any help?"

Sam paused and then looked at him, shaking his head. "Nah, almost done…thanks, though." He went back to making sandwiches and Dean sighed, sitting at the kitchen table for seemingly the first time. Castiel and Sam had eaten at the table a few times, but Dean had always grabbed his food and retreated elsewhere, be it his room or outside or something, Castiel wasn't sure.

Castiel sat next to him, relieved to not be standing, his ankle twitching slightly with pain. It would have been nice to have pain medication, or at least some alcohol, seeing as how he was twenty and the legal drinking age was seventeen, but Sam didn't seem to have any of those lying around.

Sam turned toward the table and put down three sandwiches on separate paper plates. Dean picked his up hesitantly, sending a wary look in Sam's direction, and Sam's brows furrowed slightly. "I didn't do anything to it, if that's what you're wondering," the Hazel Eye declared. "I…thought we were past this?"

Dean shrugged and took a bite. "I'm a Green Eye. It's in my nature to be cautious."

Sam nodded slowly and took a bite of his own sandwich. Castiel did the same with his, reveling in the taste. Sam made some good sandwiches. He wasn't even sure what the Hazel Eye had put on it, but it was delicious.

Castiel hoped things would be better at the house now, what with Dean and Sam not gunning for each other's throats.

* * *

It was Monday. Sam wasn't sure how it could have slipped his mind, but it had, and it was too late to do anything about it now. The knock at the door solidified that thought, and before he could stop what was happening, the door was opening and Dean was still on the couch, a hand to Castiel's ankle, soothing it. The ankle seemed to be getting better - Castiel didn't seem to be having as many problems with it lately, and Dean had to do the soothing thing less and less.

But now, Sam's father, John, stood in the doorway, a grin on his face as he entered the house, spotting the Hazel Eye. "Sam," he greeted warmly, and Sam moved toward him to hug him and hopefully talk to him before Dean could turn. Dean seemed fixated on helping Castiel at the moment, though, and thus didn't turn, either because he knew John would see that he was a Green Eye, or because he just really didn't care who was at the door, Sam wasn't sure.

"Dad," Sam murmured, his face pressed into his father's warm neck. The scent of cigarettes and liquor wafted toward him, but even though John drank, he wasn't an alcoholic. He just liked a drink now and then and tended to hang out in bars because it was easy to make friends there…not to mention, he worked in a bar as a part-time manager. Sam swallowed and pulled back from his father, glancing toward the couch, where Dean was no longer present. There was just Castiel, whose blue eyes were watching him curiously. "Dad, this is Castiel…a Blue Eye. And Castiel, this is my father, John," Sam said, introducing the two of them, thankful Dean had vanished, or smoked out of there, as he put it. He wasn't sure how John would take to seeing a Green Eye.

Maybe he would be fine with it…after all, he'd copulated with one to create Sam, a Half Eye, right? But then again, maybe he hated Green Eyes for all Sam knew, and he just didn't really want to chance it just yet. Better to wait until John was settled in and didn't have any weapons at hand.

Because John always came prepared. He always had a few knives stashed on his person in various areas. Sam had found a switchblade in a hidden pocket in his hat once. Now that was dedication.

"Really now?" John's eyes narrowed slightly as he frowned at Castiel. "What the hell happened to him?'

Sam hesitated. What was he supposed to say?

Castiel saved him though. "I believe I got into a fight, but I don't really remember that much…but someone helped me." His gaze slid toward Sam in question and Sam nodded slowly, telling him it was okay to mention Dean. "Dean did."

"And who is Dean?" John asked, sitting next to Castiel on the couch.

Sam paused and drew in a slow breath. "He's not bad," he was quick to say to his father, wondering where the words had come from, why he was saying them. That was just going to make his father more suspicious.

John's brown eyes narrowed even more. "What is he?"

By 'what' he meant 'what kind of Eye', Sam knew.

"Dean?" he asked slowly to the silence of the room. John looked at him like he was crazy, talking to thin air, but he knew Dean was there somewhere. Dean usually hovered around for a bit to see if he was needed before he really wandered off. "It's okay…Dad's okay. C'mon…You can come out."

"Sam, what the hell are you-" John started with great confusion, but he stopped when Dean suddenly materialized into the room, seemingly coming out of nowhere. Dean's head was bowed, eyes downcast, and John stared at him. "What the…?"

Dean slowly lifted his head and looked at Sam, frowning, and then he glanced at John. "…Um…hello, sir," he said formally, offering a tentative smile.

John paused. "A Green Eye?" He jumped to his feet angrily. "Sam, you let a Green Eye in here? How could you! This monster doesn't need to be-"

"Dad!" Sam snapped, watching as Dean vanished again, quickly this time. Castiel looked angry as well, but he stayed silent on the couch. "Stop! He's not a bad person."

"He's a Green Eye."

"Yeah? Well, so was my mom!" Sam growled harshly, glaring at him. "You didn't seem to hate her when you having sex with her! Or when she had me! No, it was fine then, huh? Give him a break!"

John stared at Sam, frowning. "Sam-"

"Just…" Sam took in a breath and scrubbed a hand across his face. "Don't…judge him so harshly. He's not bad. He saved the Blue Eye."

"Castiel," said Blue Eye stated with a sigh.

"That doesn't mean-" John started.

"Dad, please! I feel horrible for…for _judging_ him just because of his eyes! Just like other people judge _me_ for having hazel eyes! I can't just…do that to him. And neither can you, because you don't judge me, so why should you judge _him_? You didn't judge Mom!"

"That was different," John said stiffly. "Your mother was-"

"A Green Eye," Sam said for him. "She was a Green Eye too but she wasn't bad, right? I mean, you had a kid with her! So why can't you just give Dean the benefit of a doubt? He's not bad, Dad, really…" He looked over at Castiel. "Right, Blue Eye?"

"Castiel. Why can no one ever get that?" Castiel muttered to himself before he nodded. "Dean isn't bad, sir," he said to John. "Honest. He saved me when a couple of other…um…Green Eyes were roughing me up. He helped me, got me out of…the Abyss and…he helped me and he…he's not a bad person, sir, honest."

Sam released a relieved breath when he saw John's expression twist a little, knew that his father was about to give in. "Please don't just judge him because of his eyes, Dad…he's not a bad person. Just like I'm not a bad person just because of my hazel eyes."

John released a slow breath and combed his fingers through his hair. "Boy," he whistled quietly, "I'm being such an ass…"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, so you need to apologize."

"Now, Sam, I never said-"

"Dad, you have to. You judged him immediately and made him leave! He's tired of being treated like that, don't you see? So why can't you just…suck it up and talk to him? Please?"

John growled. "Sam, I'm not going to-"

"Please," Sam murmured.

John paused. "Fine," he grunted. "I'll talk to him. If he comes back."

* * *

Castiel stiffened at John's words. If Dean came back? Why not _when_ Dean came back? Because the Green Eye wouldn't just leave like that, would he? At least, Castiel prayed he wouldn't. He didn't want Dean to go…Dean was almost like a friend to him and Castiel wasn't sure he'd ever really had one…but then again, he had memory gaps…but still.

He noticed Sam give his father a look but he couldn't really discern the meaning behind it. He didn't really care, either. Why did people have to judge Dean like that, before they even got to know him? Just because he was a Green Eye…it didn't mean he was evil. Dean certainly didn't _seem_ evil and Castiel prayed that he wasn't. He didn't seem like a bad person, anyway…

Sam sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. "I'll go grab some food," he said, and then looked at his father. "C'mon, you can help." They both headed into the kitchen, Sam's father casting him a confused glance as they did so.

Castiel sighed and sank further into the worn cushions of the couch. He wasn't sure why the thought of Dean not coming back bothered him so much, but it did. He liked having the Green Eye around, even though he wasn't necessarily sure as to why.

"Dean?" he murmured, hoping Dean was still hovering around somewhere, but he didn't seem to be. Nothing happened. There was no response in any way, and he sighed heavily, closing his eyes.

He wished people would stop judging others just because of their eye color.

* * *

Dean hovered for a minute but then sped out of there. He was tired of being judged, of being sneered at just because he was a Green Eye. He just…needed to get away, at least for a little while, anyway. So he left the house and went through the trees, wondering if he would even be allowed back into the house. Sam's father, John - he'd listened to the introductions, after all…he had only been hovering - didn't seem to like him at all…but then again, he was a Brown Eye. Most Brown Eyes loathed Green Eyes.

He smoked back into existence about two miles away from the house, sitting down on a rotted log near a small creek. He just needed a moment to be himself, a moment to just be a Green Eye…and to not feel ashamed because of it, because it wasn't like he had any control over the fact, right?

Something shifted behind him. Too late, he turned.

_Blue Eyes…_

Then complete darkness.

* * *

By dinner, Dean still wasn't back. Sam hated to admit it, but he was a little worried about the Green Eye. He wouldn't be surprised if Dean didn't return, what with the way people treated him, but he didn't really think Dean would just leave Castiel there after helping him so much already. Shaking his head, Sam went to get Castiel and help him into the kitchen, because despite his crutches, it was still a task. John waited in the kitchen, already seated at the table and digging into his food.

"Hey, dinner's done," Sam said, approaching the couch. Castiel was bent over, clutching his ankle. Sam frown and saw the splint had come loose and the ankle was swollen. "Shit," he hissed, eyes flying wide as he sat next to the Blue Eye, hands ghosting toward the ankle, but Castiel immediately flinched away from him, shaking his head. "I have to put the splint back-" he started.

"No," Castiel hissed painfully, his eyes tightly closed. "Hurts."

Sam swallowed. "Dad! I need help!"

John appeared in the room a moment later, rushing toward the couch. He frowned at them. "Splint come off?"

"Yeah…do you possibly have something for the pain?" Sam asked, sliding his gaze toward him.

John's frown deepened. "All I have is whiskey, and only about a swallow or two left. That won't do him any good." He bent down next to them. "Castiel?"

"Hurts," Castiel groaned pitifully. "M-Make it stop…please."

"We have to splint it again."

"No!" Castiel said, "not yet…please. Hurts. Dean."

"Dean?" John slid his gaze toward Sam. "The Green Eye?"

Sam nodded. "He, um…usually helps him…makes the pain ease."

"How?"

"I don't know."

"Dean," Castiel said again, eyes still screwed shut. "Want Dean."

"He…He's not here," Sam told him slowly.

"He's not back yet?" John asked, frowning.

Sam shook his head. "No. Haven't seen him."

"I'll, um…go look for him," John muttered, quickly leaving the two of them alone as he darted outside, probably out of guilt, but Sam wasn't sure. It wasn't like John usually felt guilty, right?

Outside, Sam heard his father start to call for Dean, but it didn't seem to be working. Sighing, he moved a little closer to Castiel and reached out for his ankle again. The Blue Eye slumped away from him, expression pale and fearful, as though he thought Sam might hurt him even more.

Sam frowned. "You need help," he said. "Let me do what I can, okay? Let me put the splint back."

"Dean," Castiel murmured again.

Sam swallowed. "He, um…Dad's looking for him."

"Chased him off?"

"No," Sam said, shaking his head. "I don't…think he would just leave, right? I mean, not…after helping you so much already. He'll be back, he just needs to let off a little steam. Will you let me help you?"

"Hurts…"

"I know it does," Sam said, feeling pity for the Blue Eye, whose brow was creased with agony. "Let me splint it again, okay? Then I'll leave you alone and I'll help Dad find Dean. Alright?"

Castiel nodded slowly and allowed Sam to reach for his ankle again.

* * *

Well, hope this chapter doesn't suck horribly, hehe ;) Thanks for reading, and please continue to review!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews! This chapter isn't as long as the others, but hopefully it's okay? haha.

I got the whole 'savior' and 'wounded animal' thing from my cat, Blaze, who showed up as a kitten out of nowhere. He was obviously mistreated before he came here, and we think someone dumped him near the house. He came to me immediately and has since become my nervous orange cat, but he wouldn't go anywhere near anyone else and he still freaks out when new people come to the house. Seriously, the cable guy came and Blaze was traumatized for like three days. He just kept crying and he'd pace and run and hide and...lol I was like 'what is wrong with you? He's not even here anymore!' But yeah. So that's where I got that, because that's kind of how my cat treats me, and it's actually kind a universal thing. We seem to connect with the people who help us.

Anyway, sorry for rambling, the thought just occured to me. Thanks again for reading and please continue to review!

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Six

Dean's head was screaming with pain, no matter how much he tried to block it out. Suppressing a groan, he listened as he heard voices talking over him, so loud and yet so quiet. He knew they were trying to keep their words muffled and to themselves, whoever they were, but to him it was all too clear and loud because of his aching head. Prying his eyes open slowly and only just so, he saw two people standing over him, looking over a length of paper, which, judging by the kind of material, it seemed to be a map of some sort. But why? Had they hit him? What had happened? Why was he here, on the ground, with such a horrible headache?

Then he remembered turning to see Blue Eyes glaring at him coldly, and then there had been pain as one of them swung a metal bar at his head harshly. The pain was still there, so great and only worsening with each moment he lay conscious, and he could feel blood matting his hair down. _Damn Blue Eyes!_ he cursed inwardly, allowing his heavy eyelids to slide closed again. This wasn't good, he knew, being in this situation, but what could he do? Until this headache either made him numb or died down, there really wasn't much he could do. The world felt like it was spinning around him, tipping in all directions, and he just wanted to scream for it to _stop_.

"What should we do with him?" one of the people asked, moving closer to him. Dean stiffened a little but forced himself to relax, not wanting them to know he was awake just yet. He was sure things would only get worse if they knew.

"What's a Green Eye doing out of the Abyss?" the second one grumbled, and Dean could feel the guy's cold glare as it shifted over him, almost making him flinch involuntarily, but he managed to suppress the urge.

"I don't know. Do you think there's more?"

"I have no idea. Michael won't like this."

"Neither will Zachariah."

Dean didn't know who those people were, but he didn't like the sound of them at all. He struggled to keep as relaxed as possible, keeping his breaths deep and even, steady.

"So what do we do with him?" the first asked again. Dean hated the way this guy was talking, like he was just some _thing_ to be rid of and not an actual human being, or an Eye just like they were. Just because he had green eyes and they had blue…

He had to stop thinking like that. It wasn't doing anything to help the incessant aching of his head.

"I don't know, Vince," the second replied with a heavy sigh, as though annoyed that Dean had the audacity to even be here, alive and breathing outside of the Abyss. Dean really wanted to smash this guy's face, but given the circumstances and his Eye status, that wouldn't be the best option.

"We can't just leave him here, he could hurt someone," the first, Vince, said, a scowl evident in his thick voice.

_Attacking these two will not be good, attacking these two will not be good, attacking these two…_ was the mantra that went through Dean's head. These two were seriously getting on his nerves, even through the pain of his headache. He wanted to shout at them that he was still a person, but he figured they wouldn't listen anyway. Why would they? They were Blue Eyes.

Smoking out of there was probably his best option, but they would still be able to follow him. They were Blue Eyes, after all. They could sense other Eyes, and they were probably going to read his thoughts in a moment, and he couldn't have that. Then they would know where he had been staying, and although Castiel was a Blue Eye and he didn't even like Sam all that much, that house was all he had. Those _people_ were all he had, the only ones willing to have him around at the moment, and he couldn't just give them up like that.

He had to get out of here before these Blue Eyes got smart. Obviously they weren't that strong, because if they were, his thoughts would have projected toward them already. Still, though, they had a damn metal bar and it _hurt_, so for now he was going to be as still as possible…at least while they were looking.

"What if he has already? Maybe we should probe his mind or something," the second said. Dean still didn't know his name, but he thought maybe 'Asshole' seemed good enough. He was really hating these two at the moment.

_Don't you dare,_ Dean wanted to snarl. He opened his eyes into small slits, just enough that he could see faint outlines of the two of them. They turned away from him to study the map.

"What's he doing here? It's like four miles away from the Abyss!" Vince said with great annoyance.

Dean growled and took that time to smoke out of there. Quickly, he zoomed around them as they turned to look at where he was no longer present, and he felt their psychic, telepathic link snatch onto his mind, nearly weighing him down into the ground in this smoky form. Angrily, he tore away from the probing thoughts and fled, darting away as fast as he could. The thoughts still lingered, even several yards away, and Dean knew he had to stop this somehow.

Focusing his thoughts even through his throbbing head, he made a tsunami of fire waves dash around the two Blue Eyes, not hurting them but getting them to break their concentration on him just long enough for him to flee freely.

And flee he did.

And thankfully, there was really no pain in this smoky form when he wasn't forced to concentrate on something.

* * *

Sam hated to admit it, but he was a little worried about the Green Eye. He never would have thought it, but he was. It was nearly eleven o'clock at night now, and Dean still hadn't returned. Surely John hadn't run him off with his words, right? Sam had said a lot of angry things to him when he'd first arrived, and he hadn't left then. No, he'd come back, so why wasn't he now?

Castiel had seemingly passed out from the pain. John promised to leave in the morning and journey to town to get some pain medication and whatnot, since he hadn't brought any with him because he hadn't known the Blue Eye was here and hurt. Castiel still didn't like letting people near him, which left Sam wondering what had really happened to him. It was more than just a couple of Green Eyes roughing him up, right? What had Dean really saved him from?

Because Castiel treated Dean like his savior, kind of a wounded dog would do to someone who had found it and helped it. An abused animal wouldn't really trust others but would connect to the person who saved him, and that was kind of like what Castiel was doing now.

Sighing, he scrubbed a hand over his face. Castiel was asleep on the couch, having refused to be moved for any reason, except to go to the restroom when the need arouse. He was sleeping now, thankfully, that pained crease on his brow no longer present. Sam made his way toward his own bedroom, which was also where his father was sleeping on the floor in a sleeping bag. John usually slept on the couch or in that small room that Dean had, but both areas were occupied. Sam didn't think Dean would stay gone forever, so he had told John to sleep in his room. He had even offered to take the floor but John had begged off the idea.

The floorboards behind him creaked suddenly and a gasp was heard, breathy and pained, and Sam turned to see Dean staggering toward a wall, leaning against it for support. His eyes were screwed shut in pain and there was blood encasing his head, matting down his dark blonde hair. His face was pale in the darkness around them, and Sam gasped. "Holy shit, Dean," he hissed, moving toward the Green Eye. Before, he never would have thought about helping him, but he couldn't judge someone just on their eyes, right? Because then he was no different and no better than those who judged him just because he was a Hazel Eye. He grabbed Dean's arm and followed the Green Eye to the ground as Dean slid down the wall. "Dean? Shit, are you okay?"

" 'm fine," Dean snapped, pulling his arm away with a wince. "My head is just…on fire." He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall while Sam frowned and bit down on his lower lip.

"What happened? Where'd you go?"

"Just…around. Got up close and personal…with a metal bar. Fuck, Sam, shut up, my head is killing me." He slumped to the side a little and Sam grabbed his arm again, jerking him upright. Dean's eyes opened angrily and glared at him, but Sam ignored that for the time being.

"Stand," he ordered, pulling him up. "C'mon, let's get you to bed."

"Kinky."

Sam snorted. "And you wonder why people don't like you."

"Whatever." Dean sighed and stood, finally, moving slowly in the direction of his room.

Before he could disappear into it, though, Sam released his arm and said, "It's good you came back."

"Mm. If you say so," Dean uttered before he slipped into his room and shut the door behind him.

Sam sighed and scrubbed a hand across his face.

Hopefully Dean was okay. He would have helped the Green Eye, but Dean seemed eager to ignore him for the time being. Hopefully he would fall asleep soon and Sam could sneak in and see exactly how much damage had been done to his head, with all that blood.

Why he found himself really caring about a Green Eye, he didn't necessarily know, but he knew he didn't like the blood on Dean's head.

* * *

Dean woke feeling somewhat numb, which he figured was better than the pain he had been feeling earlier. Reforming into his physical form after smoking here hadn't been fun, feeling the weight of gravity and that horrible throbbing in his head. He still winced at the thought as he blinked his eyes open, bringing a hand up to his head as though in memory of the pain. There, he felt thick bandaging wrapped around his head and he frowned in confusion. He couldn't remember taking the time to bandage the gash on the back of his head, the gash made by that stupid metal bar. He had just made it to his room and he had collapsed onto his bed, eager to slip into the grips of unconsciousness so the pain would stop, at least for a while.

_What the?_ he thought as he sat up slowly, expecting pain to overtake him. It came slowly and surely, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been last night. Grimacing, he scrubbed a hand across his face and stood, getting out of bed. Fumbling to change his clothes into the pile waiting before him, the clothes Sam had begrudgingly lent to him when he had gotten here, he managed to dress somewhat quickly. He combed his fingers through his hair and then exited the room, wincing as he prodded lightly at the bandaging.

Sam was sitting on the couch next to Castiel, messing with the splint which had apparently come loose again. Sam looked up and smiled at him before turning his gaze toward the Blue Eye. "Told you he was here," Sam said, causing Dean to frown as he walked around the couch.

Castiel was pale, his brow knit in pain. "Jeez, Blue Eye, you look worse than me," Dean joked as he knelt next to the couch, reaching out for the ankle in question. Castiel looked relieved as he allowed Dean to grab his ankle, and Dean closed his eyes as he allowed his fire to turn into that soothing warmth that seemed to take the pain away, at least for a while. Castiel relaxed into the couch, the pained creases on his brow diminishing as he closed his eyes. "They really did a number on your ankle," Dean commented with a frown as he watched the Blue Eye, his eyes open fully now.

"Mmm," Castiel said in reply, or most likely grunted.

Dean released his ankle and shifted his gaze toward Sam. "Did you…?" He gestured toward the bandaging around his head, frowning.

Sam nodded slowly. "Yeah…there was a lot of blood. What happened?"

Dean shrugged and absently slid his fingers across Castiel's ankle. "Ran into a couple of Blue Eyes, who happened to have a stupid metal bar," he said, like it was nothing serious and happened all the time, like it was commonplace.

Sam frowned. "They attacked you?"

"Yeah. I'm a Green Eye out of the Abyss, Sam, of _course_ they attacked me." There was bitterness in his voice but it was too late to take it back now.

"What were they doing there? How close?"

"About two miles from here."

"You were two miles away?" Sam frowned.

Dean shrugged. "I just…needed to get away for a while. Anyway, yeah, I don't know what they were doing. They had this map and were looking over it or something like that, and they mentioned a guy named Michael and a guy named Zachariah but I don't know who they are."

Sam shrugged while Castiel blinked his eyes open.

"Did you say Michael and Zachariah?" the Blue Eye questioned, frowning.

"Yeah - you know 'em?" Dean asked, looking at him.

"Sort of…" Castiel shifted a little uneasily.

"What do you know?" Sam asked, watching him.

"Well, I don't…I know Zachariah is a Gray Eye," he said, "but that's really all I know about him. He and Michael are friends, I think."

"And Michael?" Sam prompted.

"He, um…I know him. Kinda."

"And?" Dean asked.

"I don't know…I don't remember a whole lot of…before you found me. Just bits and pieces and there are…huge gaps. I'm sorry." The Blue Eye gazed at him apologetically. "I just know I know him. I don't remember much else, I'm sorry."

Dean sighed and scrubbed a hand across his face. "It's fine," he murmured. "But anyway, they said they wouldn't be happy to know I was out of the Abyss, so…"

Sam paused. "What were they even doing there?"

"No idea. I don't think they'll come here, but…" Dean paused. "Where's your father?" he asked cautiously, not wanting to be here to anger the guy simply because he was a Green Eye. He was getting so tired of it, and now he remembered why Green Eyes stayed in the Abyss - it was a place where they weren't judged, where they were among other Green Eyes and could live practically normally. He missed it and felt an ache in his chest, an ache for _home_.

But he didn't have a home anymore. He couldn't go back there, no when so many people were after him. Not all Green Eyes, he knew, but those that were wanted blood, _his_ blood, and he knew he couldn't go back. At least not yet. Maybe after they simmered down or something, but he couldn't chance it anytime soon.

"He went into town to get some pain medication and some more bandages," Sam said with a sigh. "Look, he…he won't treat you like that again, okay? We had a talk."

"Friggin' joy."

"You're making things difficult, Green Eye."

"Whatever, Hazel Eye."

"Why can't we just use names?" Castiel mumbled, but was promptly ignored as Dean and Sam glared at each other.

Dean stood and walked away. "I'm out of here. Be back later." Then he smoked away before the other two could say much about it, whether in agreement or protest.

He just had to be away for the time being. It was getting harder and harder to stay.

* * *

Castiel frowned as he watched Dean disappear. He was tired of people arguing, of them bringing up their eye color into their conversations. For people who didn't want to be judged and didn't want to judge others, they sure did a bad job of projecting that idea. He was tired of being called 'Blue Eye' simply because that was what he was.

He was, however, grateful that Dean had come back and thankful that the Green Eye had managed to soothe the pain which had been consuming him. He was relying on him to take the pain away too much, and he hoped he wouldn't have to do that when John got back with the pain medication. Hopefully it would be easier then.

Sam sighed. "Well, I try to make things better and I still manage to piss him off." He shook his head and stood, leaving the room and leaving Castiel alone on the couch.

Castiel tenderly prodded his ankle, wishing it would heal quicker so that way he could walk freely and the pain would go away and not come back.

He wished everyone would just get along and stop fighting, stop arguing and judging, but he figured that wouldn't be happening anytime soon.

He didn't have to have all of his memory back to know that.

* * *

Well, hope the chapter doesn't suck too much? Anyway, thanks for reading! Please review!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	7. Chapter 7

Sorry this chapter is so short...I just didn't want to get into everything and have it be too long, hehe. Anyway, I might update by tomorrow, but I make no promises. I still have to finish my Psych term paper, do my Japanese kanji homework which takes forever, do math homework, and do a history packet. Ugh. So annoying. Plus I have a Psychology test to study for, which is to take place the same day the term paper is due. Sigh. Anywho, so my time will mostly be filled, plus I will be working on Steady Now, the sequel to Hear Me Now. I guess it's a matter of what story you wanted updated more? lol anywho.

Let me know ;)

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Seven

Dean returned a few hours later, about the same time John was arriving back at the house. Sam saw Dean start to vanish and he reached out, latching onto his arm and tugging him further into the house so he didn't disappear, or smoke, as he called it. The Green Eye scowled at him but allowed himself to be led toward the couch, where he sat down next to Castiel. John frowned at the three of them but said nothing, only ventured toward the kitchen with his supplies. Sam frowned at Dean. "I told you, I talked to him. He's cool."

Dean rolled his eyes and didn't reply. Instead, he glared at the ground as he slumped forward slightly. The bandaging was still thick around his head and Sam wondered if maybe it needed changing, but it wasn't like he was going to ask the Green Eye or anything like that. Dean didn't seem that fond of people helping him, after all. Sam had had to sneak into his room to even bandage him as it was, and he wasn't about to do that again.

John returned a moment later with a glass of water and a few pills held in his hand. He took them to Castiel and frowned at the Green Eye. "What happened to you?" he asked gruffly as Castiel took the pills and swallowed them, wincing.

Dean shrugged. "Blue Eyes."

"Where?" John asked, stiffening a little. Sam knew John didn't much care for Blue Eyes, but what his deal with them was, he didn't know. He didn't seem to mind Castiel, but then again, Castiel was hurt and thus didn't necessarily pose any kind of threat to anyone.

"A few miles from here. Yesterday."

John nodded. "Do you…would you like some pills too?"

"No."

Sam frowned at the Green Eye. "It'll help with that headache I know you have." It wasn't hard to see that Dean was in pain, the way he kept gripping his head, even if only for a few seconds.

"I'm fine. No pills," Dean said firmly.

Sam shrugged and shook his head at his father. John grunted and left the room, heading back into the kitchen. After a moment, Sam excused himself and followed after him.

"I don't like Blue Eyes being so close," John told him immediately, narrowing his eyes at him. "I don't want you leaving this house for any reason for the time being, okay?"

"What? I'm on house arrest?" Sam blinked at him. "Why? What'd I do?"

"Nothing, just…they're Blue Eyes and you're a Hazel Eye, Sam, they won't take too kindly to you and you know it."

"But-"

"And they especially won't like you having a Green Eye here."

Sam narrowed his eyes. "I hardly think that's any of their business."

John shrugged. "Not like that's ever stopped them before," he told him with a heavy sigh. "Just…to be safe, I don't think you need to be going out of the house for a while, at least a few days, okay? And you should probably, definitely, tell Dean the same thing. If they don't like you being here, they're really going to hate _him_ being here."

Sam sighed and scrubbed a hand across his face. "Alright…I'll tell him but I make no promises. And if you want him in the house, you're gonna have to stop being rude to him."

"I've barely spoken to him today."

"You know what I mean," Sam snapped. "I mean it, Dad. He's not that bad."

"You don't even know him."

Sam frowned because, technically, that was true. He knew nothing about Dean, except that he'd shown up with Castiel and had stuck around since, helping the Blue Eye when he could and generally avoiding Sam if it was possible. He knew nothing of Dean's home, why he still hadn't returned to the Abyss, why he had helped the Blue Eye in the first place, or anything about Dean's life in general. So no, he didn't really know him. But what he did know was that Dean didn't seem like a bad person. He stuck around to help the Blue Eye even though technically, they should have been enemies simply because one was a Blue Eye and one was a Green Eye. That had to count for something, right?

"I know enough to know he's not all bad," Sam finally told his father, frowning.

John sighed and shook his head. "Just…don't him fool you, just in case."

"What do you have against him? Other than the fact that he's a Green Eye?"

John shrugged ."I don't know him, and that's reason enough for me to worry. You just let strangers into your house, Sam, and a-"

"A Green Eye?" Sam shook his head. "I'm getting tired of judging him and being judged myself, Dad. I know I did a terrible job at not judging him when he first came here, but I want to do what I can to make up for that, if possible."

John scrubbed a hand over his face. "Okay, fine, whatever. Just…don't let him fool you. Just in case. Okay? He might not be who you think he is."

Sam rolled his eyes and left the room.

* * *

Castiel looked up as Sam entered the room again, a scowl present on his face, but why that was, he didn't know. Dean stiffened a little as Sam approached the couch and sat in the wooden chair next to it, his arms folded across his chest, a thoughtful expression on his face. Dean eyed him momentarily, glanced at Castiel, and shrugged. He leaned back into the couch and closed his eyes, giving into a yawn.

"What is wrong, Sam?" Castiel asked, frowning at him.

Sam sighed heavily. "My dad is just…" He shook his head and looked at Dean. "Dad says me and you shouldn't leave the house for a few days…just in case those Blue Eyes are still wandering around or something."

Dean snorted.

"Seriously," Sam said, narrowing his eyes. "Won't they like…attack you again, or something, if they see you?"

"Probably."

"Then I think Dad's right - we should stay in for a while."

"I'm not gonna be cooped up," Dean told him, narrowing his eyes.

Castiel sighed. "I think you should listen to him. It's only for a few days," he said, letting his opinion be known.

Dean looked at him and shrugged. "I guess. I'll stay in for two days. No more than that."

Sam nodded, smiling. "Good."

Dean shook his head and stood. "Now if you don't mind, I think I'm going to go sleep for a few hours." He stalked toward his room and disappeared through the door.

Castiel sighed and sank further into the cushions. It wasn't that he didn't like being alone with Sam, it was just that he felt better when Dean was around, and it didn't really have anything to do with the fact that Dean could soothe the pain. He wasn't sure what kind of strange attachment he had with Dean at the moment, but he knew he felt it strongly. He only felt really relaxed and comfortable around Dean for some strange reason, and he didn't want to think on it too much.

"Do you think those Blue Eyes were possibly looking for you?" Sam asked suddenly, causing Castiel to frown at him.

"I…don't know," Castiel said, looking away. "I'm sorry, my memory…" He trailed off and bit down hard on his lower lip, trying to think back through his life. For the life of him, he could not remember what he had been doing in the Abyss or how he had gotten there, so beaten up as he had been when Dean had first found him.

"It's okay," Sam sighed, "I was just wondering."

* * *

It was the middle of the night. Dean wasn't sure what woke him or what prompted him to smoke out of there as soon as he opened his eyes, but he did and it seemed to be the right move, as his door was thrown open and a man with angry blue eyes entered the room, his eyes bright in the darkness. Dean floated in the air, praying the guy didn't try probing his thoughts to see if he was still there or not. Thankfully, the guy just turned and called, "No one in here." Who was he talking to?

Castiel groaned from the other room and Dean shifted out of his room and toward the couch, where the Blue Eye had been sleeping. He entered the living room despite the voice in his head that was telling him to bolt out of there, and fast, and found Castiel being held up by two Blue Eyes. Dean recognized them as the Blue Eyes from earlier, Vince and the guy that Dean really wanted to smack. Sam yelped from the other room and was brought out by a Gray Eye, a hand fisted in his hair as he was forced to his knees on the ground. Next, John was brought out by another Gray Eye, and he glared at the guy who had a hold of his son.

"No Green Eye?" Vince asked, narrowing his eyes as he tightened his hold on Castiel's left arm. Castiel grimaced but didn't make a sound, for which Dean gave him credit.

"I didn't see him," the Blue Eye who had gone into his room said.

"You sure, Collin?" Vince asked.

"Yeah," the Blue Eye, Collin, replied. "Want me to probe the area?"

Castiel's eyes went wide but then softened again, as though they hadn't done so in the first place. Vince grinned wickedly. "Don't bother, I'm sure he's around. Hey, Green Eye! What have you been doing, eh? Hanging out with a Hazel Eye? Beating up a Blue Eye?" He shoved Castiel to the ground, making the Blue Eye wince as his ankle twisted a little. The other Blue Eye that was holding onto him released his arm, obviously knowing that he wasn't going to be going anywhere anytime soon, not with his ankle, anyway. Vince moved toward John and shoved him hard into the wall. "You been helping these abominations, Brown Eye?"

"Don't talk about my son like that," John snapped, shoving him away, only to be knocked to the ground by the Gray Eye standing over him.

Two Gray Eyes and three Blue Eyes. Things didn't look good, and Dean itched to just dart away, but he knew he couldn't just leave. Sure, he didn't much care for the Hazel Eye or the Brown Eye, but he couldn't just leave them like this, with these Blue Eyes and Gray Eyes. He wasn't sure what they wanted, but obviously they were going to be harsh to get it.

He ghosted down next to Castiel, who was grimacing in pain and clasping at his ankle. The Blue Eye standing over him didn't seem to be paying much attention, focused on what Vince was doing and saying over next to Sam, John, and the Gray Eyes.

"You not gonna come out, Green Eye?" Vince spat hatefully. "Huh? You just gonna hide like the coward you are?"

Dean wanted to bash this guy's head in, but he knew he couldn't. There were too many of them, and they all seemed to be out for blood.

"Alright, then I guess we have to do this the hard way." He pulled out his metal bar, the very one that had slammed into Dean's head before, and he moved toward Sam, who was being held in place on his knees by the Gray Eye, who was staring down at him with emotionless, practically empty eyes. "This is going to hurt, Hazel Eye." He lifted the bar.

Growling to himself, Dean forced himself to dart across the room and appear in front of Sam, his hand snatching out to grab the metal bar before it could lower into Sam's skull. Sam blinked up at him with wide, startled eyes, and John just looked relieved, his expression drawn in anger.

"Stop," Dean hissed, tugging the metal bar out of the guy's hands. "What is your problem? These people haven't done anything wrong!"

"He's a Hazel Eye."

"So what?"

"And you're a Green Eye."

"Yeah, that's been established," Dean spat hatefully, glaring at the guy, feeling his skin tingle in anticipation. This wasn't good, he knew. The Gray Eyes were shifting toward him, one still kind of behind Sam, a hand still fisted in his hair, and the other still holding onto John's arms. Another Blue Eye came up behind Vince, glaring at Dean.

"Living in the same area," Vince continued.

"And? Since when is that a crime?"

"You're out of the Abyss."

Dean swallowed. He wasn't really sure if that was a crime, but it might have been. It wasn't like he'd ever tried getting out of the Abyss before, after all. It was his home…or at least it used to be. Now, though, he was out of the Abyss and obviously that was trouble.

"And you beat up a Blue Eye and broke his ankle!" Vince snapped, tugging the metal bar back from Dean and ramming it into his gut. Dean went to his knees, the breath knocked out of him, and Vince grabbed a handful of hair, forcing Dean's head up so he would look at him.

"He didn't do it," Castiel was quick to say, but he was quickly ignored. Clearly these Blue Eyes and Gray Eyes had already made up their minds as to who was at fault here, and they wanted to point the finger at Dean, and maybe even Sam.

Just because of their eye color.

The metal bar came back down and slammed into his face and then all he knew was darkness, the faintest recesses of his mind picking up on the shout of his name.

* * *

"Dean!" Castiel shouted as Dean collapsed to the ground, unconscious, his face bloody. He glared at the Blue Eye standing over him. "What was that for? He didn't do anything!"

"Silence," the Blue Eye said, turning to frown at him. "They've obviously brainwashed you."

"What?" he spat incredulously. "Brainwashed? You're crazy!"

"He was resisting."

"He wasn't!" Sam growled, causing the Blue Eye to turn toward him.

"Oh, look, now you're resisting as well." The metal bar was raised and Sam flinched, trying to tear free of the Gray Eye's hold, but the grip was obviously strong. "Someone get handcuffs on that stupid Green Eye." Then the metal bar came flying down and slammed into Sam's head. Sam topped to the ground, unconscious, just like Dean.

"Sam!" John cried, trying to break free. Angrily, he growled and suddenly the Gray Eye was sent flying due to his levitation, or telekinesis, abilities. "You leave my son alone, you sick, twisted Blue Eye freak!" He lunged forward to tackle said Blue Eye, but was stopped by the Gray Eye that had been holding Sam in place. His arms were wrenched around his back and Castiel heard the distinct sound of handcuffs snapping in place.

He tried to stand while no one was watching him. The Blue Eye that had been next to him had moved toward the others, which left him alone. He used the couch for support and tried to hobble toward them, ignoring the pain igniting through his body as he did so. His gaze focused on Dean and Sam, and the blood on their faces. He didn't like seeing the blood, especially when they had done nothing wrong. What was wrong with these Blue Eyes and Gray Eyes? Why were they doing this? He just couldn't make sense of it. What was happening?

One of the Gray Eyes knelt next to Dean and started to roll him over, a pair of handcuffs in hand. Castiel felt a snarl wrench free from his chest. He felt power rise within him, power and strength he hadn't even known he'd possessed, and he growled, "Don't touch him."

Immediately, a dazed look crossed over the Gray Eye's face and he backed off, leaving Dean alone on the ground. One of the Blue Eyes turned toward him and growled, and suddenly he was being knocked over. Toppling toward the ground, he groaned and clutched at his aching ankle.

"Don't worry, we'll soon fix you up, once you're away from these abominations," the Blue Eye told him. "They've brainwashed you, but we'll make you better."

"You're crazy," Castiel told them again, glaring. "They did nothing wrong! Why can't you just leave them alone?"

The Blue Eye sighed and gestured for the metal bar to be brought over. "I can see they've really done a number on your mind. Don't worry, we'll fix you up and take care of these abominations."

"Take care of them?" Castiel asked, not liking the sound of that. "What do you mean?"

The metal bar crashed into his head and he knew no more.

* * *

Sorry if there are mistakes or anything, my head hurts at the moment and I'm very tired, except I can't go to sleep 'cause my mom and dad's friends are over and they are SO LOUD. But yeah ;) Thanks for reading, please review!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	8. Chapter 8

First I would like to start out by saying DON'T KILL ME! I have no idea where the end of this came from and the knife that's used wasn't going to be until waaaaay later but somehow it's popped in now. The story has taken over. Sigh. I do have a plan...somewhat...so don't kill me! If you do, there won't be anymore chapters, lol ;) Also, thank you all so much for your reviews!

Yes, this is where the torture comes in. I warned you previously! Anyway...enjoy? If you can enjoy something like this? Anywho, hehe. I was going to have it be brief and only one chapter long, the torture, but I got an idea and thus it must be longer ;) Thanks for reading and please continue to review!

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Eight

Dean's head was on fire, or at least that was what it felt like. His face was swollen and sore and he tasted blood in his mouth from his busted lip. He could feel a line of broken and shattered cheekbones from that stupid bar, and he didn't even want to think about opening his eyes. His body felt so sore, so hurt and wounded, and he hated the thought. Most of it was stemming from the pain scratching violently through his head because of his face and that damn stupid bar. Why had the guy had to hit him in the face? By the Eyes, it was agonizing. Taking in a slow breath, he tried to ready himself for the pain as he blinked his eyes open. His right eye, the one on the side of his face that was oh so pained, was swollen shut, while his other opened just fine and allowed him to see the bright light in the room. Needless to say, he immediately snapped his eye closed again.

_Crap, crap, crap…this isn't good…Where's unconsciousness when you need it?_ he wondered to himself before he swallowed and tried to move other parts of his body. He found himself to be effectively chained, though, padded handcuffs around his wrists, which were strung above his head, keeping him standing. His ankles were shackled together, he noticed as he put weight down, trying to take the strain off of his already numb arms. Standing made his stiff and aching body hurt all the more, but it helped his arms, somewhat.

Opening his eye again, slowly this time, his gaze adjusted to the light in the room and he looked around, frowning deeply as he shifted his wrists, trying to move enough that the cuffs stopped slicing into his wrists, even through the padding. He hated these handcuffs. It had always been a fear of his to have them on him, for them to make him helpless. These cuffs effectively snuffed out all Eye powers and abilities on whatever Eye they were put on, and thus far, he had managed to avoid him.

Looked like Lady Luck had caught up with him, though, much to his chagrin and dismay. Swallowing, he thought back on what had happened and he wondered what had happened to John, Sam, and Castiel. Not that he was worried or anything, because he didn't do that. He didn't worry about other Eyes. He'd broken his rules enough as it was, and he wasn't about to start worrying about them, especially the Brown Eye and Blue Eye. Right? Sam was kind of like him…a Hazel Eye, cast aside from society, blamed for its faults…but at least he got to live outside of the Abyss. Where was Dean's refuge? It _used_ to be the Abyss, his home, but now he was more alone than ever before, and now that he thought about, it took his breath away.

But then, that wasn't hard to do, what with the pain coursing through him so eagerly, like a rabid fire that refused to be extinguished, no matter how much he willed his mind to _please ignore the pain_.

Pain was just a state of mind, right?

Well, it felt like more of a physical state of mind at the moment.

He tried to will himself to smoke away. At least in smoke form, the pain was gone, only to return when he rematerialized somewhere. When he was floating around as thought nonexistent, the pain ceased to be a problem. And right now, he could really go for some less pain, even if only slightly. A part of him prayed that he could vanish just enough that the pain would at least ease _somewhat_.

However, there wasn't even a flicker. He couldn't even feel the power residing within him like he had done all of his life, able to feel the flame of life hidden deep inside of him, keeping him warm and hoping through the darkness of the Abyss. Now, though, he felt nothing, absolutely nothing. He felt cold and empty, dead inside, and it kind of scared him…not that he would ever admit it, but still.

He feared being weak and helpless, useless to anyone and everyone, even himself.

He couldn't even help himself.

He was so royally screwed it wasn't even funny.

But then, no one was laughing, right?

He desperately wanted to get free, was terrified of the Blue Eyes. That was probably why he hated them so much, because he feared them. He used to think it was just his anger toward them, but now that he'd gone against them and they'd slammed into him with that stupid metal bar, he thought differently. His heart raced at the thought of seeing another one.

But it was inevitable that he would.

A door to his left opened.

Two Blue Eyes walked through, grinning malevolently as they caught sight of him. Shifting, Dean tried to move away as they stepped closer, the glare of a knife hidden in their hands, but the cuffs and chains refused to allow him to move even a single inch. All it did was cause him more pain, and so he was forced to stop.

"What are you doing?" he asked slowly, trying to keep his voice steady as his heart hammered away violently inside his chest, trying to break free even if his body couldn't follow.

"We'll ask the questions here, abomination," one of the Blue Eyes spat, flicking the knife up and ramming it into Dean's shoulder. A startled shout of pain left Dean's lips before he could stop himself, and he bit down hard on his lower lip, averting his gaze so he wouldn't cry out again.

He didn't want to give them the satisfaction.

But damn…that hurt. And he'd thought his arm had been asleep…but damn, it was definitely awake now!

Warm blood dripped from his shoulder, sliding down to soak his shirt. _Son of a bitch, that hurt!_ he growled through his mind, trying to ignore the throbbing of his shoulder, head, and face.

This was so turning out to be a more than horrible day.

"Then what do you want?" Dean asked, clenching his eye tightly closed. His swollen one didn't even flicker and he wondered if the bar had smashed into it as well. It sure as hell felt like it, anyway. He wondered if he would be able to see out of it when the swelling went down, or if he'd lost that eye due to that stupid metal bar.

The butt of the knife smacked into his chest, making him wince as a bone cracked and splintered. Damn, this Blue Eye was strong. How? Blue Eyes weren't normally known for their strength, after all…no one was, really. Then again, anger fueled strength and these Blue Eyes really seemed to hate him with a flaring passion.

"I said we'll ask the questions," the Blue Eye growled, glaring at him. A hand fisted in his hair, which was matted with blood, and jerked his head upright. The throbbing grew and he winced all the more. "Understand, Green Eye filth?"

There was no way Dean was going to give into this jerk weed! Narrowing his good eye, he glared and said nothing, only tried to jerk his head free even though the movement caused the man's hand to tightened and shake him slightly, which in turn made the pain worse.

"Understand?" the second Blue Eye finally spoke up, revealing a strange looking, light violet knife. The blade looked sharp, angry and violent, and Dean nearly flinched as it was waved in front of his face. A heated glow erupted from the blade, making him flinch involuntarily as his insides twisted, his brain telling him to _get the hell out of there, now_ but he couldn't. Not while he was in these stupid handcuffs.

He mentally cursed the name of whoever had invented them.

"Not going to answer? Shame." The Blue Eye with the knife grinned at the other, and before Dean could react, the blade was rammed harshly into his stomach. Pain exploded through him like a blazing inferno and he couldn't help but throw his head back and scream, the agony too great as his muscles contracted, as though trying to stave off as much as the pain as he could. He didn't feel any blood pooling, though, and when the knife was removed, the pain almost immediately vanished, leaving him utterly breathless and weakened as he dangled from his arms, his legs too shaky to hold him completely.

"What…W-What the hell was that?" he whispered shakily, swallowing thickly as he looked down at his stomach. There was no blood, which he found eerily terrifying. He had been stabbed - that much he was certain of - so where was the blood?

How could a knife not leave behind blood?

"You might say it was a gift," the Blue Eye laughed, and thrust it into his side.

Agony again, so sharp and painful that tears exploded behind his eyes, even his swollen one, making it ache so badly. He tried to bite down on his lower lip to keep from crying out, not willing to give them the satisfaction of hearing his pain, but he couldn't help it. His body was on auto pilot as he shouted again at the agony racing through him.

_Stop,_ he wanted to beg, even though he'd never begged before in his life. He wanted to now, though, but he couldn't stop screaming long enough to do so. _Stop, stop, stop!_

The blade was pulled free. Weak with relief, he allowed himself to just hang by his arms, not caring about the strain it put on them. It was nothing compared to that knife.

The Blue Eye waved it in front of him again and he flinched, jerking away as much as he could, staring at it with one wide eye. _No, don't, not again…_

"I believe we asked you a question, Green Eye. Understand?"

Dean swallowed and tried to find his voice. Funny, because a moment ago it had erupted from him without him wanting it to do so. "Yes," he finally uttered breathlessly.

* * *

Castiel tried to drown out the sound of Dean's screams, pressing his hands to his ears as he sat with his back against the door. He'd tried to break out of the room to find the Green Eye and help him, Lord but he'd tried, but he had been extremely unsuccessful. Finally, Dean's cries cut off again, which left him flinching, wondering what had happened. This had happened twice now, and he didn't like it at all. Why were the Blue Eyes doing this? There wasn't any reason for it! Dean had done absolutely nothing wrong, and neither had Sam or John. If they were going to be punished, then Castiel should have been there with them, but no…he was here in this lavish room with the curtains around the large, comfortable bed, large paintings hanging around the wall.

Why was this happening? He desperately wanted to know but it seemed he wasn't going to be getting any answers. After all, he'd tried shouting out to someone but had never receiving any kind of answer, verbal or otherwise. The door had never been opened and he was still stuck in here, listening to the Green Eye's pain.

He and Dean weren't friends…well, not really. Castiel considered him to be something like that, but he knew Dean did not feel the same. Dean didn't really like him all the much because he was a Blue Eye, and yet he had stuck around anyway to help him. That spoke loads about his character, Castiel knew.

Sighing, he listened as the screams started back up again. Flinching, he tried desperately to plug his ears, not wanting to hear that kind of pain coming from someone who had helped him, someone he maybe considered some kind of friend, but it did nothing to drown the sound out. Dean couldn't have been located far from this room, he knew, and if he could just get out of here, he could help him.

For two days, he had been here. For two days, he had listened to the Green Eye cry out in pain. For two days, he had struggled to get out of the room, shouting for the Blue Eyes to stop, and for two days, he had failed miserably in helping in any sort of way. No one had ever come into the room for him or anything. There was a bathroom off to the side through a large oak door, and there was a mini-refrigerator just next to the massive, oversized bed.

He wondered what had happened to Sam and John. That Blue Eye's words about taking care of the 'abominations' didn't bode well with him, not at all, and if Dean was in such pain, did that mean that Sam was as well? Castiel prayed not, because even though Sam had been kind of rude toward the Green Eye at first simply because of his eyes, he wasn't a bad person and Castiel didn't wish to see him such pain.

He didn't want anyone to be in so much pain, and listening to Dean's cries was making him want to cry out as well. His ankle was still very sore, but it had been put in a proper cast by the Blue Eyes during the time he had been out. All he had suffered was a cut and a knot on the back of his head, while he was sure the others had gotten so much worse.

Why were the Blue Eyes acting like this? It didn't make any sense…if he didn't know any better, he would have sworn they weren't Blue Eyes. They were too cruel, too strong, and he could barely sense them, which left him confused. Even though he couldn't really probe other Blue Eyes' minds - if he were strong at all, anyway, which he wasn't - he couldn't get any sort of reading on these people, which left him utterly worried and confused.

He just didn't understand.

He wasn't sure he wanted to.

* * *

"Are you going to be good?" the Blue Eye asked. There was only one of them today, which made it a little easier, but not much. Dean stared at him momentarily, barely seeing him, his mind so focused on the fact the guy had that stupid violet knife held in his left hand and was waving it in front of his face.

"Yes," he uttered quickly, praying the guy wouldn't use the knife on him. _Please don't, not again, don't…can't take it anymore, don't!_ he wanted to shout at the man, but he kept his mouth shut, knowing that it angered the Blue Eyes when he spoke out of turn. He wasn't going to anger them anymore. Because that would mean more pain and by the Eyes, he was so sick of it, wanted them to just let him die or something, or stab him with a real knife that would let him bleed and go numb after a while. This knife…it just hurt too much. After two days of this, he could barely think when the knife was in the room with him, he just wanted to please the Blue Eye holding it so they would _please don't stab him again_.

"Yes what?"

He swallowed, still staring at the knife. "Be good. Won't do anything."

"Good." The knife was dropped to the ground and Dean felt like he could breathe again, his mind nearly shutting down with the relief. The man grabbed a key from his pocket and undid the chains that held his cuffed wrists in the air. Dean dropped to his knees almost instantly, his legs numb from holding him up for so long, and he brought his cuffed hands in front of him, staring. His arms were red and his wrists were chaffed and bloody, even though the cuffs were padded, but he didn't care. It was nothing compared to that knife.

The Blue Eye prodded his wounded cheek with his thumb and Dean tried to move away, but the man grabbed his neck and held him still. Swallowing, Dean closed his good eye, trying to ignore the man's existence as the Blue Eye sighed. "Vince really did a number on your face, huh?"

Dean didn't answer. Wasn't going to, not when the knife was still in the room.

Maybe…if he could grab it, he could show this Blue Eye how horrible it felt, how much pain they were putting him through when they stabbed him and left it in for so long, so terribly long that he felt he would scream himself to death…

His throat was so sore, his voice so hoarse from screaming.

But it was nothing compared to the knife.

"Would you like some water, Green Eye?" The man went to the side of the room, where there was a pitcher of water and a few plastic cups. Mostly just the Blue Eyes used it. In the two days he'd been here, he'd never been offered a drink. The only time they had used it on him was to wake him when the pain became too much. Dean watched the Blue Eye cautiously. "Here you go, you must be thirsty." The Blue Eye held the cup up to his mouth.

Dean narrowed his good eye, wondering what kind of trick this guy was playing at.

"It's not poisoned, if that's what you're worried about. But if you don't want a drink…" His free hand reached for the knife.

_No, I'll drink it, I'll be good,_ Dean wanted to say but he managed to bite his tongue in time. Instead, he sipped at the water and swallowed thankfully, allowing the cool liquid to fill his mouth.

"Good boy," the Blue Eye said.

The old Dean would have said something like, _I'm not your stupid dog._ But the new, pained Dean just stared and said nothing, was just thankful the man hadn't grabbed that horrible knife.

"Are you ready for round two?" The Blue Eye grabbed the knife and Dean felt like crying.

_Not again, please, not again!_

But the knife sliced through his side and all he could do was scream.

* * *

Listening to the Green Eye's screams, Marcus looked at the Blue Eye before him, his eyes flashing slightly, shifting between various colors. "When would you like me to go in?" he asked easily.

The Blue Eye paused. His eyes flashed as well as he looked at Marcus, a grin spreading wickedly across his face. He was tall, with dark brown hair and a tan complexion. "Tomorrow morning, Marcus."

"As you wish…Michael." Marcus turned and left the room.

Tomorrow, the Green Eye would be his.

* * *

Well, thanks for reading! I have big plans for Michael through this book and the second one ;) So anywho...don't kill me! Thanks for reading and please review! Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon ;)

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	9. Chapter 9

First off, again, don't kill me. Second off, thanks for the reviews! And third off, does any of this sound good? I'm not so sure. Anywho, thanks, as always, for reading and reviewing, and please continue to do so! I'm very tired at the moment, so if there are a lot of mistakes, that's why. I must go to bed now and get up and go to the dentist tomorrow (my jaw is killing me and my neck, I think, is swollen from it...or it's just swollen for some other reason that I don't know, hehe) but yeah. Thanks again!

Yes...more torture. I think I will be done with that part by next chapter, though, haha. And Marcus's character will get more involved later on...and DO NOT KILL ME for the end of the chapter ;) 'kay? 'kay.

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Nine

Castiel wasn't sure how he'd done it, but he'd somehow convinced the Gray Eye to give him the key to his room. The Gray Eye had come in to give him a tray of food, mostly just fresh bread, and then he'd turned to leave, but then, like in Sam's house, Castiel had felt that power rising within him and he'd let it run loose as he commanded the Gray Eye to give him the key and leave, and so that was what the Gray Eye had done. And now Castiel was edging down the hallway in staggered steps. He had to find Dean, had to stop whatever had been happening to him. He felt horrible about just sitting in his room for two days, going on three days, but he hadn't seen anyone and hadn't been able to knock down the door. Even from just looking at it, he could tell it was steel reinforced and wouldn't break no matter what he did. And his Blue Eye powers didn't allow him great physical strength - mostly just abilities over the mind, and he'd been alone with no one to command.

This…enforcing, as it was called. He'd heard of it but had never been able to do it himself, no matter how much he'd tried, at least not that he could remember. He wished he didn't have these annoying memory gaps, but he figured maybe there was a reason he didn't remember. What if it was some kind of defense mechanism or something like that? Shaking the thought off, he continued moving down the dimly lit hallway, hobbling as he put his cast down and tried to walk as normally as he could and as quickly as it would allow him to do so. He came across a door but upon opening it, he saw that it was just a closet of some kind. What was this place? Where was he? Where were John and Sam? And Dean? Dean had to be nearby if he'd been able to hear his screams so clearly, right? Or had his voice just been so loud and pain-filled that it had echoed and traveled through the dark halls to smash through Castiel's door and into his ears? He prayed not, didn't want to think of someone being in that much pain. That door had been pretty damn thick.

_Where are you?_ he thought with an uneasy frown as he continued looking for doors along the walls. Finally, he came across another one. He twisted the knob, relieved when it opened, thankful it wasn't locked. Gently pushing it open and trying to prepare himself to run if he had to, he peered around it and inside the room, which was also dark. Taking a chance, he frowned and flipped on the light switch next to the barely opened door.

"Dean," he hissed before he could stop himself, immediately darting into the room as fast as his injured ankle would let him. He kneeled next to the sleeping, curled form on the ground. Handcuffs held Dean's wrists together and also rendered him helpless, Castiel knew. He hated those handcuffs but thankfully they had never been placed on him, at least not that he could remember…but if they hadn't been, they did he fear them as he did, without much reason? Frowning, he reached a hand out and gentle grasped Dean's shoulder, wondering how badly the Green Eye was hurt. His face looked terrible, swollen, black and blue, and bloody. No one had bothered to wipe away the blood, but it was smeared. Had water been thrown on him or something? He wasn't sure. "Dean?"

Dean's brow furrowed and one of his eyes blinked open slowly. For a moment, he lay there, seemingly confused, and Castiel frowned down at him.

"Dean?" he asked again, tightening his grip on his shoulder. Dean's gaze slid to him but his eye was dark, the color guarded and dull, somewhat cold, and Castiel swallowed. "It's me. Castiel."

Dean swallowed and twisted away from him, tugging free of his hold. "Please go away," he whispered as he glared at the ground, his body stiff and tense.

"Huh? I'm here to get you out. C'mon, the door's open."

Dean shook his head as Castiel stood. "No."

"No?" Castiel was very confused. What had they done to Dean to make him like this? "Dean, we have to get out of here…we've got to find the others and leave this place. Fast. Before they realize I'm here."

"No. That's bad."

"What?"

"Leaving. It's bad. Said I'd be good."

"Dean?"

"The knife."

"What knife, Dean? What are you talking about?"

Hesitation. Dean closed his eye and shook his head.

Castiel sighed and grabbed his arm, thankful that Dean didn't pull away this time. "We have to get out of here, while they're gone, okay? Then there won't be any more knife."

Dean frowned and then nodded. "Yeah…" He seemed to be coming back to himself, his eye clearing as he looked at Castiel. "Let's get out of here. Please."

Castiel wasn't used to Dean saying please. Nodding his head, they started moving toward the door. They had just slid it open enough to step through when Castiel felt a fist slam into his face, knocking him into the wall where he then slid to the ground. Frowning, he blinked a few times to clear his vision and then stared at the Blue Eye who was entering the room. "M-Michael?" he uttered shakily, eyes wide as the figure approached him.

Michael grinned. "Castiel. So glad to see you remember me." He grabbed Castiel by the arm and hauled him to his feet. "Sorry this hasn't quite been the reunion I thought it would be."

A Gray Eye and a Blue Eye grabbed hold of Dean. Dean struggled until the Blue Eye held out what looked to be a violet knife. Then the Green Eye went completely and utterly still, his good eye wide and focused on that blade. Was that the knife Dean had been talking about?

"Let him go," Castiel told Michael, frowning deeply. He wasn't sure how he remembered Michael, but a few bits of memory clouded through his mind. He used to know Michael when they were kids. Michael was two years older than him at the age of twenty-two, that much he knew, but there wasn't anything else…not really…but he felt pain when he looked at him, and a burst of sudden fear. He didn't like it at all.

"He's almost where I want him," Michael said. Dean seemed unaware of anything that was being said, his gaze so solely focused on that knife.

"Where's that?" Castiel asked, narrowed his eyes.

"That is for me to know and for you to never find out. Castiel, you should be resting. With what that Green Eye did to you-"

"He didn't do it," Castiel said, getting tired of the fact that everyone kept blaming Dean for what had happened to him. None of it had been his fault, after all. He'd saved him, not hurt him.

"You've been brainwashed."

"Why do you people keep saying that? I have not! You're crazy if you think so."

Michael's eyes flashed, an array of so many colors that Castiel stared, but by the time he blinked it was gone as though it had never happened in the first place. Well, that was strange…more than strange, really. "You have, my friend, you have."

"I'm no friend of yours." He looked over at Dean, who was still looking at the knife. "What's going on? What's that knife?"

"That is none of your concern. You should get back to your room."

"No, we're getting out of here. You can't keep him here like this, Michael, he did nothing wrong!"

"On the contrary, he's been a very _bad boy_," Michael said, directing the end of his statement toward Dean, who effectively paled and caused Castiel to frown even more.

"What's wrong with him?"

"Jacobi, please take Castiel back to his room and lock him up tight," Michael said to the other Blue Eye, who nodded and grabbed Castiel's arm, releasing Dean before he handed the knife over to the Gray Eye. Dean's gaze shifted so that he was still looking at the knife. Castiel wanted to help him, but he couldn't…not like this.

"Don't," Castiel said. "He didn't do anything wrong, Michael, you can't keep him here like this and you know it! Blue Eyes are supposed to be the peace keepers, not the attackers!" He jerked free of the Blue Eye, Jacobi's hold.

"Restrain him, Jacobi," Michael ordered.

Jacobi nodded and pulled out a pair of padded handcuffs. Instant fear slammed into Castiel even though he wasn't sure why, but he was certain that it connected back to parts of his past that he could not remember. "Don't," he said quickly, moving backward as the Blue Eye moved toward him, his face expressionless as he held out the cuffs. "Stop." He swallowed and felt that power rising within him again, and he focused his attention on the Gray Eye. "Make him stop," he commanded, and the Gray Eye still and then suddenly lunged at Jacobi, tackling him to the ground, knife in hand.

Castiel didn't think about, just reached out and grabbed Dean's arm, hurriedly moving out of the door as fast as his cast would let him. Dean seemed to snap out of whatever daze he'd been in and so Castiel released him. "We have to get out of here," he said as they raced down the hall. Dean probably could have run a lot faster at the moment but he seemed to prefer staying next to Castiel, for which this Blue Eye was grateful.

"Agreed," Dean said, sounding more like himself that he had the entire time they'd spoken in that room. Castiel wanted to ask what had happened to him but he didn't dare open his mouth and waste his breath, wanting to only get out of here as fast as possible. "Where's Sam and his dad?"

"I don't know," Castiel said. "We'll come back for them…we need help, there's too many of them and you freak out when you see a knife and I'm not that strong."

Dean flinched at the mention of the knife and Castiel decided to let it slide for now. It could wait until they were free.

If they got free. They would deal with the handcuffs on Dean's wrists later. Right now they just needed to _get out of here_.

But as it turned out, they didn't make it very far. Michael somehow teleported in front of them, and for a shocking moment, his eyes were topaz, which made no sense because he was a Blue Eye. Blue Eye's couldn't teleport…they could Glimmer, but that just meant they could disappear and when they did, a faint, shimmering outline of them remained for a few seconds. How could Michael have teleported? Only Topaz Eyes could do that.

"Trying to run?" Michael asked, and suddenly strong arms wrought Castiel's arms behind his back. Padded handcuffs clamped down on them and Dean growled, glaring at him. Before Castiel had time to blink, there was a knife in Michael's hand and he was ramming it through Dean's stomach.

And Dean screamed.

That same scream he had been hearing for two days now.

* * *

Pain. Endless and always there. Dean was back to being strung up in the room, except this time he was blindfolded. He couldn't even anticipate when the knife was going to poke through him without allowing him to bleed out and have this pain stop. There was a gag in his mouth but that didn't really do much to stifle his screams. In fact it just made it worse because now he couldn't bit down on his lower lip because of the gag, which was actually just a length of thick, scratchy rope tied around his head. He hated the taste and it made him gag but it was nothing compared to that knife.

That violent violet knife.

He felt the knife slice easily across his left arm. There was no warm blood that ran free, though, just a severe pain that spread through him like a wildfire, as though turning his own abilities against him or something. A scream tore free of him again and he heard the Eyes in the room with him laugh. Probably Blue Eyes - they were rarely Gray Eyes.

_Stop!_ he wanted to shout, not caring if he begged. _Stop, please! No more, take it OUT OUT OUT!_

The knife was pulled free…only to be stabbed into his chest. And if he thought the pain was bad before, when the blade was in his stomach and side, this was so much worse. Pain exploded through him like a rocket going off and all he could do was scream. Tears seared into his eyes and trickled down his cheeks, both of them, even the swollen and cut one. He couldn't stop it, could only beg for the pain to stop without talking, his air being too used up with his screams, screams that he had no control over.

"You've been a bad boy, Green Eye." The Blue Eye was angry. So angry.

"Sorry," Dean tried to choke out as the knife was torn free from him. When they punched him in the face, he barely felt it, so relieved it wasn't that pain from the knife. He reveled in this new pain, this less intense and less severe pain that wasn't threatening to make him lose his mind.

"A very bad boy, trying to escape. Michael is not pleased with you."

The knife pierced his thigh. Somehow he managed not to cry out, but it was certainly hard. All he could do was clench his good eye tightly closed and try and ignore the fact that at that moment, he would have given anything in the world to find some pocket knife and saw off his own leg just to make that pain stop. He would have gladly done it and wouldn't have complained for an instant about the pain, because there was no way it could amount to this.

The blade was pulled free. Dean coughed in relief, tears stinging his eyes. _No more…please, no more, don't…not again…_

It was hard to even think in sentences, let alone form an actual full thought.

His arm was sliced and it took him a moment to realize that it wasn't nearly as painful was because it had been an actual, real knife. Blood slipped from the wound and he almost laughed at how great it felt, how relieved he was it hadn't been that other knife. _Keep this knife,_ he wanted to tell them. Never before would he have thought he would have been asking to be stabbed with a normal knife, but he was. _Please, this one. Not that other one…not again. _

"We're going to have some fun today and teach you not to try and run as you did. This will be excruciatingly painful."

Wasn't it already? How much worse could it get?

But then the knife was poked into his head and he thought for sure he was going to die from screaming so loudly as he did. His head felt like it was being ripped to shreds slowly and all he could do was stay put because of the chains and handcuffs. He was sure he broke a wrist or something when he struggled to get free but it didn't matter.

"Please, stop!" he tried to shout but they ignored his fractured voice and kept the blade in place.

This was without a doubt the worst pain he had ever felt in his entire life.

And it just kept going.

* * *

Marcus smiled as he entered the room. Those Blue Eyes had really done a number on this Green Eye. They had left him strung up, blindfolded and gagged, and he didn't miss the way the guy flinched when he shut the door behind him, the way fear seemed to radiate off of him.

The plan was working so far, though why Michael was so dead set on making it happen to this particular Green Eye, he hadn't the faintest idea. But that didn't matter to him because he had a job to do.

He pulled the gag from the Green Eye's mouth and smirked. "You look thirsty - how about a drink?" He held up his water bottle to the Green Eye's mouth and frowned when he refused to drink. "Drink it or I'll consider you to be a bad boy already."

The Green Eye drank greedily, his lips cracked and dry, parched.

"There you go, that wasn't so bad, was it? Now, let's just get this off." Marcus untied the blindfold and slid it off, watching as the Green Eye blinked his one good eye open, immediately looking down at Marcus's hands. "No knife," Marcus told him. "Unless I need to go get it? Do I?"

The Green Eye immediately shook his head. "Be good," he promised quickly.

"Good," Marcus said with a grin. "Do you have a name, Green Eye?"

A pause. Hesitation.

Marcus narrowed his eyes. "I asked you a question."

"Dean. My name is Dean."

"Very good. I'm Marcus." He undid the chains that held the Green Eye on his feet and watched as Dean slumped toward the ground in relief. "You're the problem here, Dean."

Dean frowned and said nothing.

Well, at least he was learning.

"You're a Green Eye. You know what most of the Blue Eyes and other Eyes around here do with Green Eyes?"

Hesitation. Then a head shake.

Marcus flashed him a grin, looking at him with his topaz eyes as he pulled out a regular knife. "We kill them."

* * *

Sam looked up quickly as someone finally entered his room. They had dark blue eyes and brown hair, their skin tanned from many long hours in the sun. Swallowing, Sam shifting into a seated position, his hands held behind him with handcuffs. He had been in this small, cell-like room for three days now, only allowed to eat and drink once, which had been some time yesterday. And they had begrudgingly fed it to him because they refused to release him solely for that purpose.

He wondered where his father was…and Dean and Castiel.

"Who are you?" he asked quietly.

"That is none of your business." The guy flashed him a grin. "I came to inform you that your Green Eye of a friend has been taken care of."

"…Taken care of? What do you mean?" Sam asked quickly, his heart starting to race. What had they done with Dean? He didn't like the sound of that at all.

"I mean that Green Eye filth is dead and if you don't want to join him, I would do everything we tell you. Got it?"

Sam could only stare at the guy's words. They wouldn't quite register.

Dean…was dead?

* * *

Thanks for reading! Don't kill me! lol please review! Thanks so much!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	10. Chapter 10

Sorry this is so short...I intended for it to be longer but I decided it was at a fairly good stopping point, haha...and I'd switched through the characters enough for this chapter, lol. Also, sorry it's taken me so long to update! I will probably either update Steady Now or Bobby Plus Three first, depending. And then I will write more of this...hopefully, haha, but that order might change. Anywaho, thanks for reading, and thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews! Please keep it up!

Up to come in the next chapter or so: Dean's POV since he didn't have any in this chapter, lol, and Marcus and Dean bonding (friendship), John angrily coming, a new Eye revealed ;) Hope you enjoy!

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Ten

Marcus didn't normally care for Green Eyes, but there was something about this one that called to him. His job was important to him, though, and so he could no show mercy. Michael would smite him dead if he knew he was even considering the thought, and so he shoved it aside. He'd used his knife earlier to get the chains off of Dean's hands so he could at least sit on the ground, and then he'd slowly taken the blindfold off. Dean had stared at him for a moment, as though in shock that he wasn't a Blue Eye or something. "Hello," Marcus said warmly. He knew his job and he was going to do it exactly as he was supposed to, and that entitled somewhat befriending this Green Eye. "I'm not here to hurt you, Dean. At least, as long as you don't give me a reason to do so. I'm your friend."

Well, that was part of his job, anyway. It was more difficult than it sounded, but it wasn't like he wasn't prepared for it. He knew what was to come, and he supposed he welcomed it. It would help create a new breed of Eyes and that was all that mattered. Dean was a perfect candidate for it, and so, he though, was the Hazel Eye, whatever his name was. They would both make great additions, and Marcus wasn't sure what Michael was planning on doing with the Brown Eye and that other Blue Eye, Castiel. He didn't know Michael's plans for them, but he was sure it would somehow all work out nicely, either with their deaths or their consent to join.

Rumors had been spread of the Green Eye's death already, so phase one was complete. Soon, other parts would fade together.

It would be painful and long, but it would be worth it in the end, he was sure. Besides, it wasn't like he could think any differently anyway, not with the weight of Michael's growing army behind him.

The Green Eye was looking at him skeptically, which was to be expected. "Do I look like one of them?" Marcus asked. He was a Topaz Eye, after all…or, at least most of the time. But it wasn't like he was ever going to explain that to Dean, not unless he agreed and submitted, but that would all come in good time. This plan had worked so many times before that Marcus had no doubt in his mind that it would work now, with this Green Eye.

Dean wasn't unlike previous Green Eyes who had been brought here, tortured and beaten. He had helped convert many of them. Dean wasn't any different.

He would be changed.

And he would become something powerful and worthy.

He would become so much more than a lowlife Green Eye.

"I don't have that knife, if that's what you're worried about," Marcus felt the need to point out. There was something in this one's eyes…something that left him thinking that maybe, just maybe, this would be harder than even Michael would have anticipated. Sure, the Green Eye was in pain and seemed frightened of that violet knife - but then again, who wasn't? Marcus sure as hell was, and he was going to be stabbed with it soon enough, he knew - but that didn't mean he was going to give in willingly. This one seemed stronger than the others, even though Marcus wasn't sure why he was thinking that way, exactly.

But that didn't matter, because he knew what his job was. If he had to actually _become_ the Green Eye's friend to make it happen and work, then so be it. He would do it.

Because disobeying orders was likely to get him killed, and there was no way he was going to let a Green Eye cause him to be stolen of his life. That was unacceptable.

"Are you hungry, Dean? I'm sure they haven't been feeding you properly."

The guy was looking a little lean, after all.

Dean swallowed hungrily, his stomach growling, but he didn't answer Marcus one way or the other. Marcus sighed.

"I would hate to have to get rough, Dean. Do I need to go get the knife or are you going to behave and answer my questions? I hate having one-sided conversations."

Dean paused slightly and then nodded. "Yes. I'm hungry."

"Good. That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Silence.

Marcus sighed and stood. "Wait here. Don't try to escape or leave the room, because that would make you _bad_, and you know what happens then, don't you, Green Eye?"

Dean visibly paled and Marcus nodded to himself, sure that he needn't worry about leaving the Green Eye alone.

"Good. Now, stay put, and I'll be back with food. If you're good, Dean, you'll soon find that you will be rewarded. But behave badly…" He shook his head and waited until he saw that Dean got the message before he quickly and silently slipped out of the room.

* * *

"The Green Eye is dead."

The words kept echoing through Castiel's mind, and all he could do was stare. The Blue Eye who had told him this had long ago left the room, but Castiel, cuffed and sitting on the giant bed in the room, just kept staring, unable to comprehend exactly what had been said.

_The Green Eye is dead. _

Green Eye. Dead.

Dean was dead.

But he had just seen Dean not that long ago, right? They had been about to escape! And Dean had done absolutely nothing wrong except be born a Green Eye, so what the hell was happening? Why was Michael doing this? Sure, Michael seemed to have somehow gone off the deep end, but surely he wasn't so cruel - or insane - that he'd have Dean killed, right?

Castiel prayed so, because if Dean really was dead, then it was all his fault. He had gotten Dean into this in the first place. It didn't matter that it had been an accident, that he hadn't meant for any of this to happen. He had asked Dean for help and even though Dean had claimed not to want to help him and that he would never do such a thing, Castiel had known from the beginning that Dean wasn't like that. He was the kind of person who helped people, regardless of their eye color, and so he had gotten Dean into this mess.

And Sam. And John.

All of this was his fault…

_By the Eyes, don't let him be dead. It's my fault, not his,_ he thought pleadingly as he finally closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath.

How could anyone be so cruel as to…kill…the Green Eye simply because he happened to have green eyes? What had the world come to?

If only he could _remember_ something from his past, something that might help, something about Michael or these blasted cuffs…but he couldn't do such a thing. His mind throbbed and echoed around him and all he could see was darkness, ever-present, never-ending, and angry as it curled around him like a snake out for revenge, tendrils of cold hatred threading around his heart in a tight hold.

At that moment, he hated Michael.

And the Blue Eyes and Gray Eyes, even though he was a Blue Eye himself.

If they had really killed Dean…then yes, he hated them. His own kind.

Because they had hurt someone, maybe even killed them, just because they happened to be different, just because they had a certain eye color.

And no matter what reasoning they thought to be behind it, it wasn't right. Castiel knew it, so why couldn't they see it as well? Why did they see the world so black and white?

Green Eyes weren't evil, and neither were Hazel Eyes. Maybe some of them were bad and cruel, but not all of them. People from all the Eyes were bad, and yet most were good and decent. Just like he knew that even though Michael and the Blue Eyes here, and the Gray Eyes here, were cruel and liked the thought of torture, he knew that it wasn't so for all Blue Eyes and Gray Eyes. There were decent ones out there.

It was a matter of character, not eye color, that made a person.

Why couldn't they just see that?

And now, they said, Dean was dead.

And it was all his fault…

* * *

John woke with a splitting headache somewhere in the middle of a forest. Trees surrounded him in every direction, and the cool night air zipped through him as easily as butter and a knife, and all he could think was, _Ow! What the hell hit me?_

Sitting up slowly, he rubbed at his head, where a lump was formed already. The area was sore and raw, and it made him wince as his fingers slipped over it. Removing his hand from his head, he grabbed for a low-hanging branch from the tree next to him and pulled himself to his feet shakily, staggering slightly as he did so.

_Where am I? _he wondered with a thick, heavy frown. He wracked his brain for some kind of answer, but he could think of none. He had been at Sam's, right? For a visit. And there had been a Green Eye, and a Blue Eye, and then…

His dark brown eyes widened tremendously as it all slammed back into him.

There had been an attack by Blue Eyes and Gray Eyes. They had knocked Dean, the Green Eye, unconscious first, and then Sam. Castiel had intervened at one point but had only succeeded in getting knocked unconscious himself, and though he had tried to do something about it, he had wound up being cuffed.

Then he could remember only darkness, and then being locked in a room somewhere. And then more darkness and a pain in his head, and then he'd woken here.

But where, exactly, _was_ here?

And why was he here and not with his son if those Blue Eye bastards had taken him, along with Dean and Castiel?

It didn't make sense to him, but he intended to find out as quickly as possible.

He'd fight an army of Blue Eyes if he had to.

No one was going to take his son from him.

No one.

* * *

Marcus returned to Dean's room shortly. As far as he knew, the Hazel Eye was being held safely in a room on an upper level of the building, and Castiel was being held in a new bedroom somewhere, his hands cuffed so he could not use his enforcing abilities to manipulate what a Gray Eye did again. After all, his powers worked on any Eye except for a fellow Blue Eye, and since most of them here were either Blue Eyes or Gray Eyes…well…it just seemed like the safest option.

Though, why Michael wanted to keep Castiel around was beyond him. But what did he care? He was just a worker, after all. Michael was in charge here, not him. He just knew he had a job to do.

And it was going to soon become rather painful. He was ready, though. And it wasn't like Dean would care. It would probably get Dean to trust him, but the Green Eye wouldn't care if he was hurt, so long as it wasn't happening to him.

The thought made Marcus sigh. All Eyes were like that, though, at least that he knew of.

So it wasn't like it really mattered. When it actually came down to it, people only cared about themselves.

Especially Green Eyes, who seemed to think, rightly, that all the other Eyes were against them and thus didn't care about other Eyes in the first place.

"I brought you some food," he said before he paused, kneeling next to Dean on the cold cement ground. "I want to make this as easy as possible for you, okay? But you can't try anything. If you do, we _will_ find you and you will be severely punished. For _days_. Do you understand?"

The Green Eye's face was pale, freckles standing out in a stark contrast. Dean nodded quickly, letting Marcus know that, yes, he did understand.

Marcus nodded. "Good. Here you go."

Since Dean's hands were cuffed in front of him - seeing as how they had originally been held over his head and now the chain was gone - and so he gave the Green Eye the fresh loaf of bread and watched as Dean greedily tore into it, like a ravenous animal ready for its first meal.

Marcus sat back and watched him for a moment, and then busied himself by pouring water from a pitcher into a small wooden cup and sliding it toward Dean, who quickly picked it up after finishing his bread. Guzzling the water so fast that it was gone before Marcus could blink, he wondered exactly how often they fed this Green Eye and gave him water.

If they wanted him alive, they certainly weren't doing a very nice job of showing it.

"Done?" he asked after moment.

Dean sat silently on the ground, head bowed, and nodded.

"Very well. How would you like those shackles off?"

Dean frowned at him as though confused.

Marcus shrugged. "They just look uncomfortable and I thought you might like to walk around the room at some point. It beats just standing…or sitting…there, right?"

Dean gave a slow nod and moved so that his legs were by Marcus. Marcus picked up his regular knife and picked the lock with ease before smiling at the Green Eye.

"You can talk, you know - I'm not going to hurt you, unless you give me reason. I don't want to hurt you, okay? You can talk."

Dean frowned and said nothing.

Marcus shrugged and stood. "I'm going to lock the door behind him, and there are people all over the halls. Don't try anything stupid like trying to escape, okay? You'll only manage to make things worse for yourself and despite popular belief, I don't want that to happen."

The truth in his words shocked himself nearly as much as Dean. He honestly didn't want to see the Green Eye hurt any more than he already had been, and he couldn't quite figure out why.

There was just something about this Green Eye…something different from the others…

Something that made him feel that first spark of hope, the first spark in a long time, so long that he couldn't even remember the last time he had felt as though things weren't hopeless. Maybe when he was fine? When his parents had been around? He couldn't be sure.

Scowling, he swiftly left the room and shut the door behind him, sliding the lock into place.

There was a niggling thought at the back of his mind that said that this job was going to be anything but simple and ordinary.

And something else said that maybe it was going to be the death of him.

* * *

Sam couldn't believe it. Dean was dead. Dead! And why? Why was he dead? Because he was a Green Eye. That was his only crime. He'd been born a Green Eye and had died as one, crushed by the cruelties of the Eyes, of mankind, and all Sam could think was how wrong it all was.

Dean hadn't deserved to die as such, simply because he had been born into something he couldn't control. It wasn't like he'd ever _asked_ to be a Green Eye, right? Just like Sam hadn't ever asked to be born a Hazel Eye, mostly cast aside from society.

Dean was dead…and maybe he as next.

The thought frightened him more than he cared to admit.

He didn't want to get hurt or tortured or anything.

And he didn't want to die.

What he did want was his father. He just wanted John to be near him now and tell him everything was going to be okay.

Sam was eighteen but at that moment, he felt like a five-year-old kid, scared and clinging to his father's leg as people looked at him so horribly simply because he was a Hazel Eye. He felt like that little kid all over again.

And he hated it.

Swallowing thickly, he looked up from where he was being held, his hands cuffed painfully behind him as he sat on the floor, and saw a Blue Eye enter his room.

With him, the Blue Eye carried a strange, violet knife.

Fear, cold and raw, nearly crushed Sam's heart as the Blue Eye grinned at him, the smile twisting into something cold and hard, unforgiving.

And then the blade was coming for him, and all he knew was fire and pain as a scream - his, he realized when he had to break for air - filled the air.

* * *

John walked for hours, but he didn't feel as though he were getting any closer to his son. He didn't even know where he was being held, and a part of him worried that maybe he would never find him. What if Sammy was dead already? What if those bastards had killed him simply because he was a Hazel Eye? And what about Dean and Castiel? Surely Castiel was fine - he was a Blue Eye, after all - but a part of him thought that maybe, probably, Dean was dead.

After all, people hated Sam because he was a Hazel Eye.

And to be a Green Eye was so much worse. It seemed to the worst possible crime anyone could ever commit, and it wasn't like they could even help it anyway. They'd been born into it…it wasn't like it had been their choice or anything.

John's hands curled into fists at his sides as he felt anger at the thought of something hurting or killing the Green Eye. He wouldn't have thought he would have cared at all about what happened to Dean, despite the fact that he'd told Sam he would try, but the thought tore at him now. Maybe the Green Eye had grown on him or something.

And if things were bad for Dean, then he knew they were just as bad for Sam.

He had to find his son, and fast.

Because something told him, from the deepest recesses of his mind, that something dark was waiting on the horizon, and if he didn't hurry, didn't stop it, all hell would break loose and he would lose his only family, his only son.

Sammy.

And he couldn't lose that.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Hope you liked it! Please continue to review!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	11. Chapter 11

Wow, this chapter turned out longer than I'd anticipated. I think it's moving along nicely, but let me know what you think, hehe. I feel bad...I've been neglecting my original fiction to write fanfics! Gasp! But I can't help it...my original fics don't have Dean! Or Cas! Or anything of Supernatural...Gasp! I know, right! Haha anywho, my head is hurting very badly. I've missed like four days of school with a headache. They drew blood and busted a damn vein, ugh. Now my arm is all sore and bruised. I go tomorrow for a CT Scan, whatever _that_ is, and hopefully they find the problem. I am _so_ sick of headaches! But anywho, had writing today...it was fun...and I don't know why I'm telling you this, I'm just in a talkative mood or something, hehe.

I really have to write some original fiction, haha, so I don't know when I will return to write the next chapter of this story. With the mood I've been in for this story lately (i.e. today) then it will probably be soon. This chapter had more descriptions and detail than what I usually do, but I guess that was just the kind of mood I was in. I guess I should write on the sequel to my published book, huh? lol 'cause I usually have to wait until I'm in a somewhat descriptive mood to write on it. But yeah, anywho...sorry for talking so much...just bored, I guess. Have a ton of homework from being absent. Ugh. And like 3 tests I have to take...2 tomorrow and one on Monday. This sucks! But yeah, lol, needed to vent a little.

Anyway ;) I don't know what will happen next, other than the fact that the Dean and Marcus friendship will begin. Maybe John will come in, maybe he won't, I can't say ;) Anywho, thanks for reading, and thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews! Please continue to do so! They make me oh so happy, hehe.

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Eleven

Dean was barely holding onto his sanity. He was jittery and nervous, like a coffee addict without the stash of coffee beans, and all he could do was sit there and wait for those Blue Eyes to come back with that knife of theirs, that knife he loathed and feared, though he was ashamed to admit it. He was afraid of a stupid knife, but in his defense, this knife was like nothing he had ever seen before. For one, it had a violet hue to it and seemed to radiate energy, which he couldn't for the life of him figure out. Also, the knife hurt so much worse than anything Dean had ever experienced in his nineteen years of life. It left him wondering how he was still alive when there was so much pain. It left him praying they would use a regular, real knife that would let him bleed and die so that he might escape the horrible pain of the blade.

To make things worse, his hands were still cuffed in front of him. At least the shackles were off and he wasn't forced to stand, thanks to Marcus. Dean couldn't quite figure out Marcus, really. He used to be okay at reading people, at least other Green Eyes, but Marcus was very confusing. He was a Topaz Eye, which didn't fit with the blue and gray pattern here. He claimed to be Dean's friend, and yeah, he'd helped Dean a little, but he still threatened him with the knife to make him behave. Real friends didn't do that, right? But Dean didn't know anymore. His brain felt fried from that violet, horrible knife, and he could barely remember his reason for being here in the first place.

He could barely remember Castiel or Sam, or even John. And he couldn't remember why he had helped that Blue Eye in the first, or why he had stuck around afterward. It was getting harder and harder to define the difference between Castiel and the other Blue Eyes, because to Dean, they were all blurring together. If they had blue eyes, they caused him pain. If they had gray eyes, they also caused him pain. And if they brought that knife…

Well, Dean really didn't want to think about it. Just picturing that blade in his mind made him flinch involuntarily, no matter what he was doing or who was in the room.

As it was, though, he was alone. Marcus had left, to go where, Dean didn't know but he didn't really care. He had to admit, though, he liked Marcus a lot better than the Blue Eyes and Gray Eyes here. He was a lot nicer and actually kind of treated him like a person. He hadn't used that knife on him yet, despite his threats, and Dean was beginning to wonder if Marcus would ever follow through and pick up the violet knife. He prayed not, anyway. He was going to be good so that the pain didn't come again. He was ashamed that he'd let this happen to him, that he'd let himself fall so far from the guy he used to be, but he couldn't help it. Not when that knife was around or was even mentioned. Just hearing about that knife was enough to send him into a paling state of fear and the compulsive need to be _good_ so they didn't punish him with that knife.

He felt as though they were doing this for a reason. If they hated Green Eyes as much as they claimed, then why hadn't they just killed him already? Death would have meant sweet release, and Dean kind of wanted it to happen. At least in death, there was no violet knife. To Dean, death was looking pretty damn good right now. The pain would stop and he would be free from the cuffs in death, right? But they didn't seem to want him to die. Why they were keeping him around, Dean didn't know, but he didn't like to dwell on it. The possibilities made him shudder, and only made him think about that knife all the more.

It was too painful and so he didn't think about it much.

The door to the room opened and Marcus stepped in, his topaz eyes focusing on Dean instantly. Dean quickly allowed his eyes to wander across Marcus's body, making sure he wasn't hiding that knife on his person, but he didn't seem to have any weapons, not even a regular knife. Instead, he held a bottle of water in his right hand, condensation settling on the side, letting Dean know how cool it was. His mouth was dry and he ached to taste the refreshing liquid. He barely managed to stop himself from instinctively reaching out to snatch the bottle as it was being handed to him. Instead, he waited until Marcus nodded at him to take it, and then he guzzled the refreshing liquid as fast as he could, as though afraid it was going to get taken away, which had really been known to happen. There had been times when the Blue Eyes hadn't allowed him quench his thirst.

Soon the water was gone and Marcus grabbed the empty bottle, tossing it aside. "How are you feeling?" Marcus asked, watching him.

Dean hesitated. He didn't like talking unless he absolutely had to. His throat was still raw from screaming and his voice was hoarse from misuse, but nevertheless, he murmured, "I'm okay."

And he was - so long as no one took that blade to him. His stomach dropped at the thought and made him feel queasy.

"Don't get sick on me," Marcus said sternly, narrowing his eyes. Dean nodded and rubbed at his stomach with one of his cuffed hands. The cuffs clattered a little and Marcus sighed. "Are you hungry?"

"A little," Dean said truthfully, not sure if he would get in trouble for it or not. He prayed not, anyway.

"I'll go get you some food here in a little while," Marcus said easily.

Dean kind of wanted to trust him, but he was still wary of the guy. Just because he didn't have the knife right now didn't mean Dean had to trust him. He could easily come back later and slice into him for no reason. Why Marcus was being nice to him, though, Dean hadn't the faintest idea. He didn't really want to think on it much.

"You can talk, you know," Marcus said with a sigh. He seemed to say that a lot, Dean noticed. "I hate talking to myself, it's boring and makes me look insane. So, yeah, you can talk. I can't just have a conversation with myself."

"Talk about what?" Dean questioned slowly, narrowing his eyes into curious, cautious slits. This wouldn't have been the first time he was led into a trap, he knew, so he was going to be as careful as he could be. He really didn't want to have to worry about that blade again, didn't want to do something that he would be punished for later.

"Anything," Marcus told him. "Got any siblings?"

"No." That was an easy question.

"Parents?"

"My mom died and I don't know who my dad is," Dean responded honestly, looking down at the ground, keeping his ears sharp and ready to detect any sound from the room in case Marcus decided to pull out that violet knife from somewhere hidden on his person.

"I see. What about those others you were caught with?"

"Others?" He was having a hard time remembering them. It scared him, really, but he figured that was what happened when one was stabbed in the head by some knife that wouldn't allow him to bleed out peacefully.

"The Hazel Eye and the Blue Eye."

"…Uh…what about them?"

"Are they your friends." It wasn't necessarily a question, more like a statement.

"No." That was an easy question. Green Eyes didn't make friends with other Eyes. It simply wasn't done. "Wait…the Brown Eye?" He was sure John was a Brown Eye, at least from what he could remember.

"We let him go."

"Let him go?" Dean wasn't sure what to think of that. That could technically mean anything.

"We set him free because we didn't need him."

Dean swallowed thickly. "And…what do you need me for?" he asked slowly.

Marcus was quiet for a moment and Dean wondered if maybe he had crossed a line, wondered and worried if he was going to be punished for it. He prayed not. Then Marcus said, "We're working on it."

"Working on it?" Dean couldn't help but ask even though something told him that he needed to be quiet.

Marcus narrowed his eyes. "I take it you have a lot of questions?"

Dean shrugged in response. He just wanted to know what was going on and why they were keeping him alive if they claimed to loathe Green Eyes as much as they did.

"I'll go get your food…remember, don't try leaving the room," Marcus cautioned as he stood and moved toward the door. Dean watched him go, watching him disappear from the room, the door shutting behind him. He didn't hear the lock click into place this time, which was strange. Usually Marcus locked it.

A part of him urged him to _go_, to run while he had the chance, while another part of him pleaded for him to stay because that was _good_ and he wouldn't be punished for it. Would he? Did they really need a reason to use that knife? He wasn't so sure.

Slowly, he moved toward the door.

* * *

Everything hurt, to put it simply. Sitting in a chair was a relief, even though his arms were wrenched around it and cuffed to keep him there, but there was no way he was going to try and stand anyway. Sam felt shaky all over, his nerves on edge, his eyes focused on every movement made by the Blue Eye present in the room. He wanted to cry at their hate, wanted to scream why they hated him so much when they didn't even know him, but he kept his mouth shut. His throat was raw from his screams and his voice…he couldn't quite find it at the moment. It seemed to have burrowed deep within him as though for relief and he wished, on some level, that he could do the same.

_Is this what they did to Dean?_ Sam worried, wincing at the thought of the Green Eye bearing such pain before his death. _Is this how they killed him?_ That thought sent a chill through his spine. He wasn't so sure this knife _could_ kill, as it hadn't even allowed him to bleed as of yet, even though he was sure that bleeding would have been a sort of relief. If he bled enough, he would go numb, after all. Pleasantly, blissfully numb…

But that wasn't happening. The Blue Eyes in the room were talking quietly to themselves, off near the door, and Sam just sat there, watching. It was all he could do, really. His breaths were still shallow, quick, and shaky, and he wound up involuntarily flinching every time the Blue Eye holding that violet knife moved. What was with that knife? Sam couldn't figure it out, but then again, he was sure he wasn't able to think clearly at the moment, not with that blade in the room.

The Blue Eyes stopped talking. One of them left the room and Sam frowned at them in confusion. The one that left had the knife, and the other Blue Eye approached him, eying him strangely. He lifted his hand as though to smack him and Sam flinched involuntarily, tugging at the cuffs even though he knew it was futile, and the Blue Eye laughed happily. "I believe you're ready," he said with a smirk that twisted into some expression Sam couldn't quite place. "You and the Blue Eye you came with…I think you're both ready."

"…Castiel?" Sam asked, his voice feeling thick and rough with misuse as he stared at the Blue Eye. Castiel was alive? Was he okay? "Where is he?"

Something dangerous flashed in the eyes of the person before him. "I don't believe I asked you a question!" His fist lashed out and swiped Sam across the face, causing the chair to tip slightly, only to fall forward with a snap. Wincing, Sam stared at the Blue Eye. "You will speak only when spoken to, do you understand? I was mistaken…you're not ready. I'll go get the knife." And then he turned to leave the room, and Sam's breath caught in his throat.

_No,_ he silently pleaded, but when he opened his mouth, it was too late to do anything. The Blue Eye had already exited the room, and when he returned a moment later, he held the violet knife in his right hand. He marched toward Sam, his expression stony and conveying not even a single ounce of mercy, even as Sam's eyes went wide and he struggled to break free.

"No," he whispered, staring at the knife. "Please!"

The tip of the blade pierced his side and all he knew was a fiery pain. Was it just him, or did each swipe of that knife seem to hurt more than the last?

It didn't matter though, as coherent thought was soon rushed away, forever locked in the crevices of his mind, the places where he struggled to escape such pain and agony, but the pain seemed to follow him, no matter where he turned. There was no escape, and as the blade entered his side for a second time, he wondered how he was even still alive at all.

Surely his screams would eventually kill him? Or perhaps his mind would try so badly to escape that one day it would just shut down, thus killing him. He hated to admit it, but he almost prayed for it. At least then the pain would stop.

At least Dean was out of this pain. But that was a small comfort.

* * *

Marcus watched his job, Dean, sit on the ground as he paced around the room. Green eyes never left him. Dean still seemed very suspicious, despite the kindness Marcus had shown him, which was very unlike all of the others he'd helped convert into a new breed of Eyes. They had all caved at his kindness, at his touch and warm smile and offerings of food, but Dean still seemed to have a little fight left in him. Marcus wasn't quite sure what to think of that, or how to really get him to trust him. The final part of the preparation was to be happening within the hour, and though he was sure he didn't want this to happen, he was ready. He knew what to expect, knew what kind of pain that piercing violet knife brought, knew it was going to hurt like hell. But he was prepared. It was his job, after all, and it would help get Dean to trust him.

Or, at least, make Dean fearful enough that he would cave either way. That was the plan, anyway, and Marcus was ready to be done with this job. There was just something about Dean that made him hopeful, and he knew better than to think like that. To be hopeful meant pain and death, and he would rather have death than face that knife, that violent, violet knife that penetrated through him so easily yet left behind no blood in its wake.

But either way, Dean would crack by the end of today, Marcus was sure. He didn't expect Dean to show him kindness or gratitude, or even forgiveness for what would no doubt come later, and he was sure it wouldn't happen. He didn't want Dean's forgiveness, didn't want his kindness. He had been fine on his own thus far, without friends or family or any of that nonsense, and he planned to keep going that way, too. When he was being cut into with that knife, Dean would feel relieved that it wasn't him, and then he'd turn fearful when the blade moved toward him. That was how it was supposed to go, how Marcus expected it to go. And then Dean would be ready to submit, to cave and do as they asked, just like all the others had done before him. The others would also cave - or at least Sam would. Marcus wasn't sure what the others had planned for Castiel, but he couldn't say he was worried or that he even cared. He hadn't met the Blue Eye, after all, and it wasn't like Castiel would become one of them anyway.

But maybe Sam would. He was also a good candidate, and from what Marcus had heard, they were already making progress on him. It was moving along a little faster than Dean, really, which left him eager to finish his business with the Green Eye so he could move on to the Hazel Eye, who was to be his next job. Many more would come after - many more would be changed, converted, and they would all give in and submit. How could they not, to stop the pain and suffering, the discrimination? How could they not take up the chance to have sweet revenge for the injustices put upon them simply because of their eye color?

Marcus had given in, long ago. He'd caved, just as they would. He knew the feel of that horrible knife, knew what it felt like to writhe in agony and pray for death, for that sweet release of that black oblivion. He knew it all too well, which was why he took his job so seriously. Although he wasn't completely happy with his choice to join this new breed of Eyes and was a little regretful that he'd given in as he had, he wouldn't have it any other way. At least this way, there was a chance of being accepted. At least this way, he wasn't cast aside, left forgotten and bruised by society simply because of his eye color.

Before this, he had been nothing, just like Dean and even Sam. He had been a lowly Green Eye on the brink of despair when he'd been captured, tortured, and changed so thoroughly. The pain was almost worth it, except that he still feared the touch of that knife. He expected it to come, knew it was a part of the final task of preparation, but he still couldn't help but fear it. It was hard, really, not to flinch when the blade was present in the same room as him.

But soon Dean would come to understand all of this, maybe even Sam. This was all for the best. Sure, most Green Eyes were killed…and even some Hazel Eyes, who behaved badly and disobeyed the Blue Eyes and Gray Eyes. Sam had done that, of course, and Dean's crime was being born a Green Eye. They should have been killed on the spot…and they would have, if they had been confronted by simple Blue Eyes. Which, yeah, they had. Vince and his group were normal Eyes, were born their color. But those higher ranking than them, like Michael for example, weren't simple Blue Eyes. They were much more complicated, much more powerful, and all would soon fall to them and their will. And that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, Marcus didn't think.

Because then there would be justice, and the other Eyes would learn better than to discriminate as they had in the past, as they were still doing now. It would soon stop and maybe then they could all have a little peace.

Also a little payback…that wouldn't be a bad thing, right? Marcus could certainly go for wetting his hands in a little blood of those who had wronged him and his kind all of his life, those who had cast them aside and into the Abyss, ignoring their cries and their pleas for help.

They would pay for treating them as such.

Dean would soon see it their way, Marcus was sure. And Sam would, too, once the Hazel Eye was ready.

* * *

Dean flinched, startled as the door to the room flew open, revealing three Blue Eyes and that God-forsaken knife. Stilling as his gaze landed on the object in question, he stared and barely noticed that they weren't moving toward him. Instead, two of the Blue Eyes grabbed hold of Marcus while the other one cuffed his hands. They held him up against the wall and punched him in the face, leaving behind a red mark that was surely going to bruise later on. Dean, alone in a corner of the room, stared as they lifted up the knife, readying it over the Topaz Eye's side.

Why were they doing this? Wasn't Marcus one of theirs, or something? He was with them, right? Why were they turning on someone who was on their own side? It didn't make any sense to him. He stood slowly as they jabbed the violet knife into Marcus's side, wincing when the Topaz Eye cried out in pain. A part of him was vastly relieved that _he_ wasn't the one they were knifing, that it was Marcus instead, and then he instantly felt guilty for thinking as such. Just because he and Marcus weren't close, just because he didn't trust him, didn't mean that he deserved to have this done to him. Dean wouldn't wish this upon anyone, not even his worst enemy, for it seemed to be a fate worse than death.

The Blue Eye in front of Marcus pulled the blade out and stuck it back into his side. Marcus screwed his eyes shut and screamed, the sound echoing loudly through the room. Dean wasn't even sure Marcus knew what he was doing, but he didn't blame him - that knife had made him scream more times than he could count, and half the time he hadn't even known he was shouting until he had to draw in much needed air.

_Why are they doing this?_ Dean wondered, watching.

_What the hell do you care? Get in there and stop it!_ a part of him shouted.

_No, what the hell are you thinking? Just be happy it's not you this time!_ yet another part argued.

Dean was torn and didn't know what to do. He was afraid of that knife, he had to admit, feared it with everything he had, just as he used to fear the cuffs that now seemed forever locked around his wrists. Even so, he couldn't let this happen to Marcus. No one deserved to have this knife used on them, not even someone who was working with those Blue Eye bastards.

"Stop," Dean whispered, but his voice was too low for anyone to hear. Taking a few cautious steps forward, he raised his voice and cleared his throat. "Stop."

They still ignored him, focusing only on Marcus's screams as they jabbed the blade in again, and again. The Topaz Eye crumpled to the ground but they just pulled him back up, holding him up against the wall so that he could not slide down even though his legs had given out. A haze covered Dean's mind and suddenly all he could see was the _wrongness_ of the situation, what they were doing. Despite his fear, he ran forward and snarled.

"I said _stop_!" he growled.

The Blue Eye pulled the knife out, looking at him in something like shock. Dean stood there, glaring at them, panting as a part of his mind shouted at him for even telling them to stop, for getting the attention turned on himself, but he didn't care. He just wanted them to stop. For a long moment, not a word was spoken by anyone. Marcus was released, where he slid down the wall and hit the ground, panting, his eyes barely open. Dull topaz eyes focused on Dean in something like disbelief and yet also a vast amount of relief, probably for having stopped the pain.

"What did you say, Green Eye?" the Blue Eye with the knife snarled, taking a dangerous step toward him.

"I…uh…I said…" Dean took a step back, fear consuming him again. "I said…stop? I mean…he's with you, right? So why…hurt him like that?"

"It seems you haven't learned your lesson, Green Eye." The Blue Eye shook his head. "You still haven't learned not to talk _unless you are spoken to_. That's very, very _bad_."

Dean swallowed and backed up until he hit the wall. The Blue Eye continued toward him. The other two followed, leaving Marcus alone on the ground. The Topaz Eye was still staring at him in something like shock, even though Dean wasn't necessarily sure as to why.

All he knew was that the knife was moving in front of him, and the Blue Eyes were angry.

He had been bad.

And now he would be punished.

* * *

Well, hope you like it so far! Please, as always, review and I'm glad you read it! Thanks so much, and please continue to leave your wonderful reviews ;)

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	12. Chapter 12

Another longish chapter ;) Sorry it's taken me so long. Hopefully I will soon update Steady Now, but I make no promises. And the last chapter of Bobby Plus Three is on the way, and Reverberating Footsteps will (hopefully) get updated within the next week or so, but again, no promises. Anyway, we're watching a movie over a book we had to read for Dramatic Literature and it's very depressing. It's also kind of about prejudice and everything, and how people are treated differently and whatnot. Yeah, depressing. But anyway, haven't gotten my results for my CT Scan back yet but hopefully soon, hehe. My head is on fire right now, for the first time in like five days, and it's really annoying. Especially since I'm not supposed to take what I usually do to make it go away...not with this medicine they have me on. Probably gonna take a painkiller, haha. Anyway, don't know why I'm telling you this, just got bored, I guess.

I think this is the longest chapter so far ;) So enjoy!

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Twelve

Why Marcus ever allowed himself to be stabbed with that horrible knife, he wasn't entirely sure, at least not while the blade was in him, causing him such severe pain, so horrible that he could barely breathe and wasted his air on screams. When he didn't have it in him, he knew why he did it - because he knew it would eventually stop, and if he didn't do as he was told and help them convert Eyes to their side, then that pain would become permanent, like it pretty much was for Dean at the moment, and he simply couldn't stand the thought of it. He wasn't a coward, at least he didn't think he was, but he just couldn't put himself in such a position to accept that amount of pain, because even if he did try to fight it, it wouldn't do him much good. When the pain abruptly stopped and he slid toward the ground, he stared at Dean in great shock and confusion, because the Green Eye had stood up for him. He'd told them to _stop_, and by the Eyes, no one had ever, _ever_, done that for him before.

The Blue Eyes were moving toward Dean now, angry as they waved the knife at him. For a moment, all Marcus could do was watch. Surely Dean had known this would happen, right? He had to have known that in helping Marcus, he had condemned himself to more pain because that was _bad_, right? He had to have known, so why had he done it in the first place? No one had ever done that for Marcus before. No one had ever told someone to stop hurting, not in all the Eyes he'd helped turn. They'd all just been thrilled that _they_ hadn't been the ones on the receiving end of the blade, of that horrible, otherworldly pain. No one had ever thought to help him…never. So why was Dean doing this?

The knife sliced into the Green Eye and Marcus stared as Dean cried out in pain, sinking to his knees. Surely had had to be terrified, right? But he'd stuck of for him, had told them to _stop_…Marcus just couldn't get over this fact. Dean had…helped him. No one had ever done that, not in the entire time he'd lived. Not when he was a Green Eye, and certainly not now. Swallowing thickly, he watched as the Blue Eyes laughed, causing Dean more pain, and a growl caught in his throat. The least he could do was return the favor, right? Dean had gotten them to stop hurting him. Why he'd done that, Marcus couldn't fathom, because that only meant more pain for the Green Eye. As terrified as Dean seemed of that blade, why had he done it? Marcus didn't understand.

Jumping to his feet, he huffed out a breath and lunged at the Blue Eyes, tackling them. The knife flew from their grasp and slid across the ground while Dean leaned heavily against the wall, panting, his eyes half-lidded and dull with pain. "Leave him be," Marcus said to the Blue Eyes who were glaring up at him from the ground.

"I don't think so," one of them said, anger in their eyes as they jumped to their feet, striding toward him threateningly. "Obviously this isn't working, Topaz Eye."

Marcus glared. They knew his name, yet they were only calling him by his eyes. "Leave him be. We'll…try again later." He didn't want to say too much, but Dean seemed pretty out of it at the moment, leaning tiredly against the wall as though exhausted. That knife could really take a lot out of someone.

"No. This has failed. The Green Eye needs to die. Hold him," the Blue Eye commanded, and the other two grabbed Marcus by the arms and held him in place. He struggled but was still weakened from that blasted knife, and thus couldn't break free. He still had those stupid cuffs on, anyway, and so he couldn't just teleport out of here like any other Topaz Eye would. The lone Blue Eye reached down and plucked the knife off the ground. "We'll make him suffer and then kill him."

"Leave him alone," Marcus said, growling. He wasn't sure why he wanted to help this Green Eye, or why he even cared, but Dean had gotten them to stop hurting him and he wanted to know why. He wanted to know why Dean had done what he had, why he'd helped Marcus when he must have known it would have only caused him more pain. A part of him wanted to return the favor, and he couldn't if they killed him. Dean was the only person to ever stick up for him, to care enough to _stop_ what was happening instead of just being relieved that the knife was turned on someone else for a change, like all the others had. Dean was different from the others, and Marcus felt hope. He had long ago crushed that hope, the hope that he would be free, that these new Eyes would be stopped and he could do what he wanted, but now…maybe it could happen…

But they were going to kill Dean, and then probably Sam and Castiel as well. He didn't know them, but he could picture it in his head. Of all of them, Michael had assumed Dean would crack easily, him being a Green Eye and all, and most Green Eyes cracked after only a few days. Hell, Marcus had, after all. He hadn't lasted half as long as Dean had thus far, and the Green Eye still wasn't fully cracked. He had been willing to _help_ him, and Marcus couldn't just let that go, no matter how much he wanted to because he knew that to stand up for this prisoner would only cause trouble for him. He had to help him, though, had to at least return the favor, because Dean was the only one he'd ever seen do that before.

The Blue Eye knelt next to Dean and grabbed a fistful of his hair. Dean winced, becoming more alert as his eyes flew open wide, quickly darting around the room. They landed on Marcus momentarily and something like relief flooded those green eyes, causing Marcus to become even more confused. He narrowed his eyes as the violet knife easily slid through the flesh of Dean's shoulder, causing the Green Eye to scream again, trying to move away even though the Blue Eye held a fiercely tight grip on his damp, spiky hair.

"Stop it," Marcus growled, stomping down heavily on one of the Blue Eyes' foot, causing them to release him. The other snarled and he rammed his elbow into their ribs, causing them to let him go as well. Angrily, he lunged forward and head-butted the other Blue Eye, causing them to tear the blade free of Dean's flesh as they smacked harshly into the wall. Wincing, his hands still cuffed in front of him much like Dean's, Marcus grabbed the Green Eye by the arm and hauled him to his feet. "C'mon," he snapped, "we gotta get out of here!" He tugged Dean toward the door and thankfully the Green Eye didn't resist, but kept pace and actually pulled ahead of him a little. They rounded a corner and Marcus hear the Blue Eyes charging after them, shouting for them to stop. They had to hurry if they were ever going to escape.

_Why am I helping him?_ Marcus wondered but he didn't stop, just kept his grip tight on Dean's arm so the two of them didn't get separated. That was the last thing they needed at the moment. He urged his feet to move faster even though he was sure he was already pushing his limits, Dean keeping pace with him.

"The others," Dean breathed as they ran, his voice somewhat hoarse from screaming. "Where are they?"

"Forget about them," Marcus snapped, "we have to get out of here!" He was already risking his neck for the Green Eye - he owed Dean, but not the others. Castiel, the Blue Eye, would probably be okay because Michael knew him, even though Marcus didn't know what kind of history they shared. The Hazel Eye, though, was a different story. Marcus wasn't so sure about him. He would either be converted or killed.

Dean jerked free of his hold. "I have to get them out, too," he stated with a pant as they continued running, side-by-side. "I can't just leave them behind!"

"You have to," Marcus snarled, grabbing hold of Dean's arm again when the Green Eye tried to veer off the path they were going, probably so search for the others, even though Marcus wasn't sure as to why. Didn't all Eyes treat Green Eyes badly? So why did Dean want to help them? It didn't add up in his mind. The door for the stairs appeared down the hallway and Marcus hid a grin, relieved that they might actually make it. However, the Blue Eyes were definitely gaining on them. Their voices were growing louder and he could hear the thrum of their rhythmic footsteps.

Two Blue Eyes appeared in front of them before the door, guarding it, and Marcus growled low in his throat before he shoved Dean to the side, leading them both down a dark hallway. Maybe they could fake out the Blue Eyes and make them leave the door unguarded, or maybe there was another way out somewhere through here. Marcus wasn't sure but he hoped so, because if not, then they were both dead.

_Why am I doing this?_ he wondered with a frown. _Why am I helping him?_

He didn't have an answer. He just knew he was doing this. Narrowing his eyes, he pulled Dean into a side room and quietly but hurriedly shut the door, hunkering toward the ground and motioning for Dean to do the same. Thankfully, the Green Eye did so and kept quiet as the Blue Eyes ran by the room just outside the door. Marcus held his breath, wondering if they were going to get caught or not. He fervently prayed they didn't, but with his luck, they would probably be found. Sighing, he bit down on his tongue as people paused momentarily outside the door. He saw Dean doing the same, his green eyes narrowed into small, cautious slits. Then the people moved on and Marcus felt like he could breathe again. Feeling weak with relief, he leaned against the wall next to the door, keeping low to the ground just in case, and released his hold from Dean's arm, looking down at his cuffed hands. How was he going to get these off, exactly?

The Green Eye moved further into the room, frowning at the contents of the dark, rusty green shelves that lined the far wall. After a moment of hesitation, Marcus joined him and the two began looking through old, dusty boxes for a way to free themselves. Hopefully they found something, because if they didn't, Marcus was fairly certain they were royally screwed.

* * *

John growled and roughly kicked the old, rotted door in, using his telekinetic abilities, or levitation as most Brown Eyes called it, to make sure the door landed quietly and softly. This must have been an old back door at some point, but now it was mostly forgotten. So was the hallway it led to, by the looks of it. It was dark and strangely ominous and a part of him didn't want to enter it, but he knew he had to. His son, his Sammy, was in there and he had to get him out. Who knew what those Blue Eyes were doing him? And he couldn't forget about Castiel and the Green Eye, Dean. Sure, he may have been a little harsh toward him at first, but then, back at the house before everything had gone horribly wrong and John had been knocked unconscious by a dastardly blow to the head, he could remember the Green Eye stepping up to defend Sam, to help keep him safe. He'd gotten taken down because of it, John could remember, and so he thought of Dean a little differently. It was wrong to judge him as he had in the first place, anyway. Why had he done that? He guessed he just got so used to being around all the hype about how horrible and vile Green Eyes were that he'd started to actually give in and believe it himself, even though Green Eyes were people too. They weren't that different from everyone else.

Besides, it wasn't like they could control what eye color they had when they were born. They couldn't be blamed for it, and they shouldn't have been. People treated them so badly…and poor Sammy was treated badly because his mother was a Green Eye. But it wasn't like that was _his_ fault…no, it was John's. John had been the one to get with her, after all. Shaking his head, he mentally vowed that he would apologize to Dean…if given the chance. For all he knew, the Green Eye was already dead, and maybe Sammy was as well.

Well, no, fuck that. He wasn't going to let that happen. He was going to save his son, and the others. He had to believe he could, after all.

Narrowing his eyes, he squinted through the darkness, praying that he had been graced with the gift of night vision, but that was a worthless dream. He slowly moved down the dark hallway, moving carefully just in case there was something around he could trip over. He walked along the wall, keeping a hand held to it at all times so he could try and find where he was going and if there was a bend coming up, or a corner or something. The last thing he needed at the moment was to go crashing into a wall. That certainly wouldn't help anyone, after all.

He could see light coming from up ahead. Swallowing, he quickened his pace and finally came to a large door. He twisted the knob, and of course it was locked. Just his luck. Sighing, he stepped back and then kicked at the door harshly. It was old as well, but a little more sturdy than the previous one had been. He knocked it down easily enough, though, by the second kick he threw. He entered the dimly lit hallway. It was an improvement, though, because at least now he could see where he was going. Thankfully, no one was coming, because they would certainly be able to see him as well. He didn't need to get caught while trying to help the others. That wouldn't help anyone.

A scream tore through the air and he felt his heart clench painfully in his chest.

_Sammy…_ he thought, unable to speak the name aloud.

That was his son's voice! Screaming, so pained…

Growling, John charged through the hallway, not caring if he was going to be spotted or not. He could hear Sammy's voice and he had to do something about. He had to stop it.

He had to.

Except first, he needed to find some stairs because he was sure his son wasn't on this floor. The voice was too distant, yet so clear, and he wished he could block the hurtful sound from his mind, but he was unable to do so.

He found the stairs soon enough and darted up them three at a time, panting as he managed to make it to the top. The second floor, then. Was that where Sam was? The screams continued, sounding so much closer now.

He began to charge down the hallway, determined to find his son, when a gust of air rushed past him. It seemed somewhat familiar, even though he wasn't sure why, and before he knew what he was doing, he found himself reaching out toward the air, quickly whispering, "Dean."

The Green Eye materialized in front of him, looking shocked to see him. "John?" he asked, frowning. "What are you doing here?"

* * *

"Wait," Sam breathed as he struggled to move, but he was still held firmly to the chair due to the cuffs and whatnot. Swallowing the growing lump full of ear in his throat, he watched, unable to get away, as two Blue Eyes moved toward him, that violet knife in hand. He couldn't believe this was happening. How could they do this to him? That knife was awful! So very, very painful and he felt like he was beginning to lose his mind because of it all. He couldn't take it again, he couldn't! He had to get out of here, get _away_ but he hadn't the faintest idea as to how to go about doing so, not when he was cuffed like this and everything. There didn't seem to be a way out, so he was reduced to staring at them with wide, ample eyes and pleading with them. "Please, wait…don't!"

They moved forward. The blade moved swiftly and would have killed him by the way it stabbed into his stomach…if it was a normal blade, anyway. But as it was, this knife was so much more painful, and he never would have thought himself to be begging to be stabbed with a _real_ knife that would kill him, but he would have choked out the words if he could just stop _screaming_ long enough, damn it…

_Stop, stop, STOP!_ he wanted to yell at the top of his lungs, with everything he had, but he couldn't. His voice was being used to scream, as was his air. _Please stop! Help! Is this what they did to Dean?_

It was the worst fate he could possibly imagine at the moment. He didn't wish it for anyone, let alone Dean, who had done nothing wrong except be born a Green Eye. It wasn't like he could help it, after all!

"NOOOOO!" he screeched, twisting and turning as he struggled to get away, so somehow break free even though the last hundred times he'd tried, his efforts had been in vain. Maybe it would work this time. Probably not but it was all he had to hope for. "STOP! PLEASE!"

And then the knife was torn away from him so suddenly that it left him absolutely and utterly breathless. He screwed his eyes tightly closed and hunched forward as much as he could as though to protect himself, even though there didn't seem to be a protection from that bloody knife. He wished he could get rid of it somehow, but he doubted that would ever be a possibility. Taking deep breaths as though to clear the growing fog of pain in his mind, he looked up, opening his eyes, to see a guy standing in front of him, growling angrily, their topaz eyes narrowed into dangerous slits that promised pain and suffering if one were to double-cross them. Their wrists, from what Sam could see, were red and bruised, probably from cuffs. Was he a prisoner, a victim, as well? But he was a Topaz Eye! They weren't hated, so why…? He just couldn't understand it.

"Leave him alone, I said!" the Topaz Eye snarled viciously, pulling out an actual, real blade. Sam felt relief flood through him. Maybe this time, he would be stabbed with a real knife and not that otherworldly blade that brought with it only pain, hurt, and more ungodly pain and agony.

"Marcus," one of the Blue Eyes snapped hatefully, "what the hell do you think you're doing! You have your own job to do, you moron! Stupid Topaz Eye!" He moved toward the Topaz Eye, Marcus, and raised the blade to stab into him. The two lunged for each other at the same time, Marcus's grip curled tightly around his own, normal knife as the two started to grapple on the ground.

Sam watched them, transfixed, and then started when the door to the room suddenly flew open, revealing a tired and exhausted looking John. Sam was so happy to see his father alive and well, just so happy that maybe all of this pain would finally be over. Maybe he would make it out of here after all! Except, it was too late for Dean…and Sam felt deep guilt and regret at that, at the way he'd first treated the Green Eye. Swallowing, he watched as John moved toward him. The second Blue Eye snarled and lunged for him with lightning quick speed, causing Sam's eyes to widen. "Dad!" he screeched, tugging at the cuffs as though he could somehow help his father. But as usual, the metallic clang of the cuffs was the only response to his much-tried efforts.

John spun and barely managed to duck as the Blue Eye threw a punch at him. Growling, John shoved the guy backward, catching him off guard momentarily. "No one messes with my boy," he snapped, and with a glare, the Blue Eye floated off of the ground and twirled in the air, in tune with the flicking of John's wrist. John snapped the appendage and the Blue Eye went flying through the air, smacking harshly into a wall. A deep, gruff, somewhat hoarse chuckle sounded from behind Sam as a cold yet warm breeze shuffled around him. Startled, Sam looked to see Dean appear next to him, normal knife in hand.

"Dean?" Sam whispered in startled amazement, watching as Dean moved to pry open the cuffs with the knife. Sam felt the cuffs unlock and he pulled his hands in front of him, rubbing at them and their soreness. "Are you…You're _alive_?"

"Don't sound so surprised," Dean scoffed. "Can't keep a good man down." He smiled and Sam felt relief. Things were going to be okay…Dean and John were here. Dean wasn't dead and had somehow managed to get free. His wrists were red and swollen, looking ready to bleed with all the blisters, probably from all of his constant tugging at the cuffs. Sam wondered if this was what they had been doing to Dean, but he prayed not. He didn't wish that on anyone, after all.

"Thanks," Sam murmured, "I-"

"No time for that," the Topaz Eye, Marcus, snapped. "They're out cold for now but they'll wake and soon everyone will be after us. We have to get out of here - _now_!"

"Where's Castiel?" John asked, frowning, pretty much ignoring Marcus for the moment.

"No time for that," Marcus said harshly, "we have to get the hell out of here! C'mon!" He shoved Dean and Sam toward the door, seemingly expecting John to follow as they entered the hallway.

"We can't just leave him," Dean said.

"We have to! He's a Blue Eye, he'll be fine, now let's get out of here!"

Dean shook his head. "We can't leave him, Marcus!"

"Why do you care?" Marcus growled. "He's a Blue Eye! The same kind of Eye that's been _torturing_ you for a good long while now! Don't you get it?"

"It…It wasn't him," Dean said as though he was trying to convince himself of that as well. Sam swallowed thickly, knowing they had to find the Blue Eye. He also knew they had to hurry and get out of here, so they didn't have to start bickering. That would only draw in unwanted attention and they didn't need that right now.

"Dean's right," Sam spoke up finally, causing everyone to look at him. "We can't just leave him behind."

"No one gets left behind," Dean chimed in with a smirk. "Then it's settled. On this floor, do you think?"

"Well, he'd better be," Marcus grumbled, crossing his arms. Sam almost expected him to start pouting, but he didn't. "Because we're not going back to the third floor! Nope. No way. Not with everyone _looking_ for us."

Dean nodded. "Then let's get started. We have to hurry or else we'll never make it out of here…"

"This way," John said. "There aren't that many doors…I saw them on the way in."

"Then what are waiting for?" Sam asked quietly.

They quickly started running in the direction John had gestured.

"This is going to take forever…Dean, help me. I'm going to teleport into rooms. Do your smoke thing," Marcus said.

Sam wondered how had put him in charge, but he didn't question it. Marcus had helped save him, after all. Plus he was a Topaz Eye, and they could actually teleport - _teleport_! Sam envied that ability. Ah, to be able to go anywhere…

Like out of this building, for instance.

* * *

Castiel's ankle felt so much better, but he felt crappy, crummy, and generally like an idiotic Eye. How could he have been so stupid, going to the Abyss? He still didn't recall why he'd gone there in the first place, but he knew it was a dumb idea anyway. And he'd gotten Dean and Sam involved in this, and now Dean was dead and Sam was probably going to be killed as well. He didn't know what had befallen John, hadn't heard anyone really mention him, after all.

His wrists were still cuffed and he'd tried breaking free, but thus far had been unable to do so. The door to the room remained locked. The only time anyone entered was to give him food and water, so at least they cared enough to keep him alive, if one could call this living. He was stuck in this room, alone, and he didn't like it. At all.

At least his ankle was feeling better, though. It was healing nicely. Maybe soon he would regain enough strength in it to somehow break free from this room and help Sam, but he wasn't so sure about that. As it was, it would still be a few days before his ankle would feel well enough to actually try and take someone down. He could run okay, if he had to, but he couldn't twist and move like one would normally do in a fight. As it was, he wasn't sure he even knew _how_ to fight, not really. He couldn't remember, anyway.

"Just gonna sit there all day, Blue Eye?" came a familiar voice, startling Castiel so much that he nearly toppled off of the bed in his haste to spin around and face who was in the room with him. He hadn't even heard the door open.

Dean was smiling at him, leaning casually against the wall near the door. Castiel stared, because as far as he knew, Dean was dead…right? At least, that was what he had been told, and why would they keep him alive, anyway? They seemed to really, truly hate Green Eyes.

"D-Dean?" he stammered, getting to his feet, his eyes wide as they focused on the Green Eye before him. "Is that…are you okay?"

"Just fine," Dean said. "We have to get out of here." He knocked twice at the door and then quickly stepped back and away from it, gesturing for Castiel to do the same. Without warning, the door was kicked in from the outside, revealing John and a Topaz Eye.

"Good, you found him," John said as Sam came into view. Castiel was relieved to see that everyone was okay and that Dean was actually alive, not dead as he'd been told. That horrible knot that had been in him these past few days finally uncoiled and he felt like he could breathe again.

"Marcus, do you know how to get out of here?" Dean asked the Topaz Eye, turning to face him.

Marcus nodded, expression set in tension. "We have to hurry. Now." He turned and started running, expecting them to follow.

With Dean at his side, Castiel started running after him, with Sam and John right behind them.

They were finally - _finally_ - going to get out of here.

* * *

Well, there you go! Hopefully it's not too bad, hehe. Thanks for reading, and hopefully I will update soon! Thanks, and keep reviewing, please!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	13. Chapter 13

This chapter is a little shorter than the previous few, but yeah ;) Sorry it's taken me so long to update! Anyway, hope you are enjoying the story so far, and thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews, which made me want to write this chapter! Yay! Anyway, thanks again, and please continue to review! You guys rock!

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Thirteen

Fresh air had never smelt so sweet in Dean's life as they exited the building at a run. He breathed in the scent as he panted for breath, looking back to see Blue Eyes racing after them, having finally found them as they exited the building. Castiel's ankle was still messed up but he seemed to be doing fine, which made Dean relieved that he didn't have to worry about him for the time being. Why he worried about him in the first place was beyond him, but he did, and he couldn't change it. Unlike maybe some of the other Green Eyes, he actually gave a damn about the other Eyes, no matter what his previous rules had been. Maybe if he had just followed them in the first place, his rules, then none of this would have ever happened. None of them would have been taken to that horrible building with that God-awful knife of never-ending pain. He shuddered at the memory of said knife and shoved all thoughts of it from his mind so he could focus on running. It was strange how the knife hadn't caused any permanent, physical damage after all that horrible pain.

"This way," Marcus urged them, stopping suddenly. Dean frowned at him and stopped as well as the others kept running, heading in the direction Marcus had waved them toward. "Keep going."

"What are you doing?" Dean panted breathily. Marcus, at first, he'd thought was working with the Blue Eyes. But then he'd helped him, and now Dean didn't quite know what to think of him. He knew he couldn't just keep going while Marcus stayed here, though, not when the Blue Eyes were coming, probably with that horrid knife.

"Trying to buy you guys some time."

"Why?" Dean couldn't help but ask, frowning at him as he heard the Blue Eyes get closer and closer. Twigs snapped around the trees surrounding them and he knew they would soon be encircled if they kept staying here.

"I don't know," Marcus said, and he seemed more than a little confused about it, but he shook his head. "Just go - I can lead them away and teleport to you guys, okay? Go!" He shoved Dean in the direction of the others. Dean hesitated, wanting to stay and help him, but he seemed determined to do this alone. Plus, Marcus was a Topaz Eye. They could teleport easily, which was different from his smoking. This job would be easier if he were alone to do things his way and at his own pace, Dean knew.

So he nodded and hurried off in the direction of the others as Blue Eyes tore out of the trees. A couple of them ran after Dean and the others ran in the direction of Marcus, who took off left instead of straight. Dean swallowed and vanished, smoking out of there as quickly as possible. There was no pain in his smoky form, no physical body to associate his aches with, and he felt completely and utterly free like this. But he couldn't stay in it forever, and he had to get to the others and help them get away. So he raced through the trees in his smoky form, quickly leaving the Blue Eyes behind him in his hurry.

He hoped Marcus would be okay and would join them soon. If not, Dean vowed he would find him and help him, even if it meant going back into one of those horrible buildings. He couldn't just leave him behind, after all. Shaking the thoughts from his head, he moved quicker through the trees, knowing that he had to hurry because Blue Eyes could track anyone due to their damn telepathic abilities…well, they could if they were strong and knew what they were doing. If they could lock onto the psychic trail of other Eyes, they could follow it. Dean, in his smoky form, didn't necessarily have a psychic trail to leave behind. He did, however, have a mind that they could latch onto, and so he forced his thoughts to scatter, leaving behind all thought as he hurried onward. He wasn't going to give them any time or a chance to clutch at him with their icy, telepathic hands. He was going to get to the others and get out of here, and hope that Marcus would join them soon.

And if he didn't, then he would have to go looking for him. No one was going to get left behind. No way. Not with those Blue Eyes and their horrible, violet knife. How had come across such a knife in the first place? Dean had never heard of it before in his life, and even though he wasn't even twenty yet, he still knew enough to know that maybe no one had ever heard of that knife. Word traveled fast through the Eyes, even with the Green Eyes stuck out in the Abyss.

The others came into view soon enough. They'd stopped and were looking around, frowning, as though searching for something. Dean materialized and released a breath at the onslaught of his physical body's aches and pains. Hazel, blue, and brown eyes latched onto him in relief, as though he had been the one they were searching for. That felt strange, though, the thought that maybe people cared enough to look for him. Shrugging it off for now, he said quickly, "Blue Eyes are on their way. We have to keep moving. Marcus is trying to lead some of them away but not all of them followed."

Marcus could teleport, and that wasn't like smoking. There wasn't a psychic trail to follow, no mind to latch onto and snag in a telepathic trap. When a Topaz Eye teleported, they literally vanished and appeared somewhere else, somewhere they chose if they had a picture of it in their mind. Dean knew this because years ago, when Eyes had come to the Abyss, among them had been Topaz Eyes and he'd learned a thing or two about them. He'd thought it was cool, back then. He still did now, but it was more of a necessity for survival than 'cool' at the moment.

"Marcus is going to teleport to us as soon as he can," Dean said.

He wasn't sure how that worked, exactly. How would Marcus know where they were going to be? He didn't think on it long, though, because he knew they didn't have much time. They all needed to get the hell out of here and to safety, lest they face the wrath of that horrid knife again, and that was the one thing he vowed to never let happen again. His body tensed at the mere thought of the blade.

John nodded and grabbed Sam's arm, leading his son forward as he started running again. Castiel quickly followed after them and Dean brought up the rear, wondering where they were going to hide. It wasn't easy to hide from Blue Eyes, after all. Not easy at all. The only place they would be able to hide was…dare he think it…the city. Well, _a_ city. Any of them. There would be too many people for the Blue Eyes to simply single them out of a crowd. They would be able to blend in and hide among the crowd for cover.

The problem? Dean knew they weren't going to take lightly to having a Hazel Eye among them, let alone a Green Eye. Dean could smoke his way through town, he decided, but what about Sam?

"The city," he murmured loud enough for the others to hear. "That's our best bet."

John nodded, panting. "That's what I was thinking…but what about you and Sam?"

"I can smoke…and shield Sam." The thought had only just then occurred to him, but he figured it was possible. After all, he had shielded Castiel from view when those Green Eyes had been beating up on him, right? That was how they'd gotten away. It would work, if he concentrated. Shielding a person while they remained still was one thing…it was just like a blanket, really, a bending of the smoke in the air around the person. Simple enough when they were standing still. Dean just laid over them like a cover. But when they were walking and moving around, dodging people? That was another matter entirely. It would be hard and require a great deal of concentration on his part. He wasn't sure he'd be able to pull it off, but then again, it was the only option they had.

"You can do that?" Sam asked, blinking at him.

"I can try," Dean replied honestly.

"It's our best shot," John said.

Yeah…except they didn't know where they were or how far away the next city was. Unless they came across it soon, they were completely screwed. They couldn't run forever, after all, and he was exhausted. He wasn't sure about Sam, but even though that knife hadn't caused any physical damage, the way his guts had twisted at the pain was still a contributing factor that left him slightly breathless. His body ached and he would either need to smoke after them or rest soon.

The only problem with smoking for too long was the fact that it was easy to get lost, both figuratively and literally. If a Green Eye were to stay in smoke form for too long, they could get stuck like that and not even wish to go back to their physical form. Or they could forget how to materialize correctly, which always led to problems and usually a lot of blood. Seeing half of a body appear out of thin air wasn't something that most people liked to see. Dean himself had never seen it happen, but he'd heard stories. It was like a myth adults told children to keep them from smoking for too long and hiding when they had to do homework or study, or clean their room or something. Normal parent stuff, really.

But also, Dean had learned, sometimes it was hard to control where one went when they were smoking. The wind could carry one off track if the Green Eye in question were to lose their concentration. Plus, being in smoke form for too long was likely to make one sick when they returned to physical form due to the new weight of their body. Dean had experienced this once before, when he'd been playing as a kid with his best friend. Hide and seek among the Green Eyes was always fun and very tricky, since they could disappear and hid practically anywhere. Dean had been hiding for about three hours, enjoying his smoke form, and when he'd materialized again, he'd been hit with a wave of nausea and had nearly thrown up, feeling light headed and dizzy. It wasn't something he wished to repeat.

Shaking the thoughts away, Dean focused on the matter at hand. They had to hurry and find a city…or they would be done for.

And he knew it.

They were screwed without a city.

* * *

Marcus ran for what felt like forever, when in reality had only been twenty minutes. His legs were aching and somewhat numb from the rough use as he ran over the rough, uneven terrain, dodging trees and upturned roots. Tripping now wouldn't help anywhere, would only allow the Blue Eyes a chance to catch up, and he certainly didn't need that at the moment.

He couldn't hear them behind him anymore, which he took as a good sign, but he wasn't out of the woods yet. Literally and figuratively. There were trees all around him. He hadn't been out of the building in a long time, since he'd become one of 'them', what he'd been trying to create out of Dean. He knew, though, that a city wasn't too far off, only about five or ten miles. He'd seen a map of the area once in one of the rooms. He'd sent Dean and the others in that particular direction for a reason, after all. Maybe they could hide in the city. Sam and Dean might have a problem with it, though…them being a Hazel Eye and a Green Eye, but it was their best shot, as far as Marcus could see. He hoped they figured that out and were headed there now. He hoped they were getting close.

He still didn't hear any Blue Eyes. Had they given up, finally? Had they run out of steam? He hoped so. Those Blue Eyes had been in the building for a long time, like him, and probably weren't used to running around all the time. He wasn't either, but he was in better running shape than them. Releasing a breath of relief, he slowed to a quick walk, looking around almost nervously, as though Blue Eyes were going to jump out of the trees at him with that violet knife. No one did, though, thankfully, and he stopped, taking a moment to fully catch his breath and let his aching muscles ease and his racing heart slow to a normal rhythm.

The next thing he did was conjure up a picture of Dean and the others in his mind, and then he felt wind wrapping around him like a torrent of reality. When he opened his eyes, he found himself standing in front of a shocked Dean and John.

"Hello," Dean drawled. "Nice of you to pop in and nearly give us all heart attacks."

"Are the Blue Eyes still coming?" Marcus asked, ignoring Dean's remark.

"No, they just sort of…stopped, a little ways back," Sam said, shrugging as he ran a hand through his hair.

Marcus nodded in relief. "Good. We need to keep moving. The city should be close by."

"There's a city nearby?" John asked.

"Yes. I saw it on the maps."

"Is it safe to go there?" Castiel asked, speaking up for the first time since they'd started running.

"It's our best shot," Marcus said, and then frowned at Dean and Sam. "I don't know what the two of you are going to do, though."

"It's covered," Dean said with a smirk. "We were talking about it."

"Alright, good." Marcus nodded, mostly to himself, and then started walking. "We should keep moving. We need to get there as soon as possible, before they turn into Topaz Eyes on us."

"Turn? What?" Sam asked, shocked as he stared at Marcus. "What do you mean?"

Marcus shook his head. "Nothing, it doesn't matter right now. I'll explain later. Besides, that's only if Michael gives them the order…and he's out of the building right now, so it could take a while."

"A while? For what? What's Michael got to do with this?" Castiel asked, frowning in confusion.

"Nothing. We'll worry about it later."

"You can't just say all of that and then _not_ tell us what you mean," Dean said. "We need to know what we're up against, here."

Marcus narrowed his eyes. "No, right now what we need to know is how far the city is. We need to get to it and stay low for a little while." He left out the fact that if the Blue Eyes did receive the order to become Topaz Eyes, they would be able to find them quickly. All they would have to do was exactly what Marcus had done, bring up a picture of the person or place in their mind and they would transport there practically instantaneously. If that happened, then they were screwed to hell and back again.

"Fine," John said, "but don't think this conversation is over."

"It never is," Marcus agreed as they continued to walk.

* * *

Bobby lived on the edge of a fairly large city, one of the only ones out here. It was only about twenty miles away from the Abyss, which was why most people didn't want to leave here, but the city had been made just the same. He was a quiet man who didn't have much to do with anyone, and only fully entered the city when he had to. The noise from the city was too loud, the people too many, and he'd just rather do without. He sat in his reclining chair with a yawn, closing his eyes as though to take a brief nap. He was nearly forty-five, after all. He thought he deserved a nap.

There was the sound of incessant knocking at his door, and at this hour of night, nearly nine, he didn't expect company. The city shut down fairly early, which he never minded. Mentally shrugging to himself, he stood from his comfy chair and moved toward the door as the knocking grew louder. His dog, Manic, barked happily and wagged his thick black tail, the same color as the rest of him. That dog was always happy, which was why Bobby had named him Manic.

"I'm comin', I'm comin'," he grumbled as he pried the door open and blinked at his three visitors. One was a Topaz Eye, who stood mostly behind the other two. The other was a Brown Eye, like himself, and the third was a Blue Eye, which really made Bobby blink. What was a Blue Eye doing all the way out here when they usually stayed up in the mountains? Shaking the thoughts from his head, he said gruffly: "State your business."

Sure, there was a Blue Eye there but that meant nothing to him. Even though most Eyes considered Blue Eyes to be the Eye police and generally treated them like they were the best thing since sliced bread, that didn't mean Bobby did. To him, they were just another person. Now, if there was a Green Eye with them, that would pose a problem. But he saw no such Eye in sight.

"We just need a place to stay for the night," the Brown Eye said, smiling at him non-threateningly. "That's all. We won't be any trouble."

Bobby narrowed his eyes, untrusting. "How do I know you three are serial killers or something? And what's a Blue Eye doing with y'all?"

"I was wandering and twisted my ankle, and they've been helping me," the Blue Eye said honestly enough, and the other two nodded.

Bobby shook his head, just knowing that he was going to regret this. "Fine, ya can come in but I've only got two spare rooms."

"That's fine," the Brown Eye said.

"Yeah," the Topaz Eye said with a nod.

"Y'all got names or what?" Bobby asked as he stood aside and let them into the house. He shut the door after a moment and sighed, scrubbed at his face with a rough hand, unable to believe he had visitors. Most people steered clear of him, and rightfully so. He didn't know what to do with visitors.

"I'm John," the Brown Eye said, "the Blue Eye is Castiel and the Topaz Eye is Marcus."

"I'm Bobby. I don't know how y'all wanna split the rooms, but I'll leave ya to it." He turned and left the room, wondering if he was right to leave the three alone and trust them for the time being.

He figured he was being paranoid. After all, it had been a long time since he'd had any visitors. He was just rusty.

Manic barked happily in the other room and Bobby sighed, getting out some dog food. This would definitely make Manic leave his guests alone. He poured the food into the large bowl on the ground and barely moved in time before Manic leapt toward the food and started gulping it down.

"Damn mutt," he muttered.

* * *

Dean materialized with a stagger, nearly toppling into the bed at the sudden weight of his physical body. He felt a little lightheaded but otherwise fine, and he looked to see Sam looking around in wonder. "That actually worked," Sam said with a grin. Dean nodded tiredly, feeling drained and exhausted. He'd done far too much smoking for today, he decided. It had been a long and hard day and he just wanted to sleep.

There was only one bed in the room and three of them. Him, Sam, and Castiel. John and Marcus had sought refuge in the other guest room that the Brown Eye, Bobby, had. How were they going to do this?

"I call bed," Dean said, leaping toward said bed. He snuggled into its warmth and yawned, tugging the covers up and over his head so he could be shrouded in darkness, sweet and inviting. Already sleep was tugging at him and he was more than willing to give in. However, the bed tipped and he pulled the covers back with a frown.

"I'm tired too," Sam said.

"Floor."

"No. The bed is big enough."

"Floor," Dean said again, frowning. He most certainly was _not_ going to sleep with anyone, Sam of all people.

Sam paused as though thinking for a moment. "You know what, you're right…I should sleep on the floor." He shook his head. "Castiel is the one whose ankle is hurt. He should get the bed too."

Dean blinked at Sam as though the Hazel Eye just wasn't understanding the fact that he was going to sleep _alone_. "Floor."

"C'mon, Dean, that's not very nice. I mean, you _did_ go through all that trouble to find Castiel, am I right? Wouldn't leave him behind?" There was something Sam's voice and Dean narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "So it's settled. He sleeps with you."

"What!"

"Or you could always have the floor…" Sam suggest with a smile.

"Oh you sneaky bastard," Dean growled. "Fine! Crawl in." He rolled over and faced the wall, moving as close to it as he could for the time being, wrapped snuggly in the covers. The bed tipped again and he sighed.

"I can sleep on the floor," Castiel said, "it's not a-"

"No," Dean muttered, "it's fine. Just stay on your own side, yeah?" Then he closed his eyes.

And promptly fell into the welcoming arms of sleep.

* * *

Hehe so...how do you like it? Sorry it took me so long, and sorry if it sucks, hehe. I wrote half of it yesterday...and I had such a bad headache yesterday it's not even funny. I cried for like an hour because of that stupid headache, ugh! The only thing that got rid of it or at least dulled it? Sleeping pills! Yay! Hurrah for the mind numbing sleeping pills...and sinus headache medicine ;) But when in doubt, sleeping pills! But yeah, hehe. Anywho. So...pre-slash, anyone? haha. Please continue to review, and thanks again!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	14. Chapter 14

Ugh. I am _so_ sorry it's taken me so freaking long to update this story! I'm at a slow part and thus, my procrastination struck and I had other stories I really wanted to work on...plus, again, my life has been busy. Papaw is still in the hospital, my appendix still hurts, my head still hates me, etc. Anyway. I'm sorry to say that I really don't like this chapter...I think it could be so much better but I decided to say "screw it" and just _wrote_ so I could finally _finish_ it. I've had like half of it written for weeks but couldn't think of what else to write (more like I knew what to write but it was a slow part so I said "screw it" again). I promise the action will pick up again soon! Probably by next chapter. And I hope this chapter isn't moving too fast? I'm like, half asleep right now but I can't sleep 'cause my dad's friend is over and he's loud, so...yeah, lol.

Anyway! Thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews! I am so glad you are all still reading this story and that you are enjoying it. I have to admit, when I first started writing this story, I was a little worried at first that no one would like it...but you guys proved me wrong and it was you guys that made me want to continue, you and your wonderful, inspiring reviews! Thank you so much! I promise the action will soon pick up and hopefully the next chapter will be better, haha.

Anywho...

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Fourteen

Consciousness floated through Castiel's mind briefly, but he wasn't ready to wake yet. There was warmth flooding through him, making him feel comfortable and safe, like he hadn't felt in a very long time now. He wasn't ready to wake up and face the harsh reality of the world, the prejudice of the Eyes and all that was happening around them. He just wanted to stay asleep a little longer and stay with that comforting warmth. His mind blanked momentarily as he thought about _why_ he felt like this, warm and safe. Despite his plans on staying asleep, his eyes blinked open curiously and he saw dark blonde hair present directly in front of his face. A warm body was pressed against his and warm, strong arms were flung over him, keeping him close, and for a moment all he could do was stare at that freckled face in confusion, a faint blush heating up his cheeks.

_Dean?_ he thought, frowning slightly. He would have tried to roll away but he didn't wish to disturb the Green Eye, as he had looked exhausted last night and needed his sleep. Castiel's mind nagged at him that maybe there was another reason he didn't want to move, but he shut that thought down quick. The thought was absolutely absurd. He just felt close to Dean because the Green Eye had helped him, that was all.

That was all he would really let it be, at any rate.

Soft snores came from the floor and he guessed Sam was still asleep. He deserved a good rest too - they all did, really. He wondered what Michael wanted with all of them, anyway. He couldn't believe Michael was behind this. He didn't really know the guy, sure…his memory had yet to really come back…but he knew he knew him. And his memories were still cloudy but Michael wasn't that bad, right? Why would he ordering them to be hunted down? Why would he try to kill Dean and Sam simply because of their eye color? He just didn't understand.

Sighing, he decided not to dwell on it. Dean's heat would only be there so long, and he decided to get the best sleep he could out of it. It wasn't like he would ever tell Dean that he enjoyed sleeping next to him, after all. Just because he liked the warmth, as he told himself. If the warmth had been given off of anyone else, he would have enjoyed it then too. It just helped that Dean was the one who had saved him. That was all. Nothing more.

The Green Eye shifted against him and the flush on his face deepened. He closed his eyes tightly and tried to drift off to sleep and ignore the feeling of warm arms draped around him, but he had to admit that it was hard. The Green Eye's unnatural heat was radiating off of him and Castiel liked it. He wasn't going to lie - he did like it. Dean's deep breaths were comforting and relaxing and let him know he wasn't alone. For some reason, he really hated being alone - it was even worse than before, when he'd had to walk and get around on his hurt ankle. It was better now, though, and he knew it would mean Dean wouldn't be touching him with that heat anymore, and he did miss it. Guiltily, he admitted it to himself. He missed the warmth.

Sam shifted on the ground. Castiel tensed, wondering if he was waking and what he would say if he saw him and Dean like this on the bed. It was all Dean's fault, really - he was the one with his arms flung around the Blue Eye - but Castiel was guilty as well…guilty of liking it. Thankfully, though, Sam didn't wake and settled on the ground.

Castiel closed his eyes again and focused only on that soothing warmth.

The Green Eye shifted again, the arms tightening around him, pulling him closer unconsciously. His face became buried in the crook of Dean's neck, and though he stiffened, secretly he kind of liked it. He enjoyed the feel of the warm, secure arms, enjoyed the familiar scent wafting up his nostrils, an odor that could only be classified as _Dean_.

Swallowing thickly, he focused again on the soothing warmth, on the feel of Dean's soft, warm skin against his face, and finally returned to the wonderful land of sleep, consciousness slipping away from him.

* * *

Something was nudged into Dean's neck. He wasn't entirely sure what it was, but it wasn't normal. There was something warm and solid pressed against him, being held firmly there by his arms, and he had to admit that it wasn't unwelcome. He kind of liked it, enjoyed the feel of someone - at least he guessed it to be a person, but his fogged mind of sleep couldn't quite be sure at the moment - pressed against him so warmly, so reassuringly. It made him think that maybe, just maybe, he wasn't alone and that things would eventually turn out okay. Swallowing, sleep filtered out of his mind and he blinked his eyes open, frowning at the disheveled black hair that belonged to the head that was contently nuzzled into his neck.

_What the…?_ he thought, struggling to make sense of this. _Cas…? What! Cas? The freaking Blue Eye…shit…_ He started to release his hold on the Blue Eye out of instinct alone - Green Eyes were never to be close to Blue Eyes, and he especially didn't like the thought of that after what those Blue Eyes had done to him with that violet knife, the nightmare of all blades - but the way Castiel grumbled in protest at the movement and unconsciously moved closer to him in his sleep gave Dean pause. _What are you doing? Pull away, you idiot! He won't know the difference, he's fucking asleep!_

Dean was just starting to pull away again when the door to the room suddenly opened. Like a bullet, he smoked and shot through the air to shield Sam's sleeping form with his body, turning the two of them completely invisible. He only prayed Sam didn't snore, that he'd remain quiet while sleeping. He was sure that sometime during the night he had heard the Hazel Eye snoring, sleeping soundly. _Please be quiet…please be quiet…_

Bobby, the person who owned this house they were currently staying in, peered in, probably checking on Castiel since he was a Blue Eye and all. Castiel was currently sitting up in bed, blinking in confusion as he rubbed at his sleep-filled eyes.

"Dean?" he yawned sleeping, causing Dean, in his smoke form, to actually flinch.

"Who is Dean?" Bobby asked, frowning as he stood in the doorway. Dean's immaterial heart began to race, though not in physical form. He wondered what Castiel would say to cover this, and he prayed Sam didn't wake with a yawn or something and make a sound. He and Sam were to hide from the grizzled Brown Eye, as it was probably safe to say that he didn't like Hazel Eyes or Green Eyes like most of the other Eyes.

Castiel blinked at Bobby and then shifted uneasily. "Oh, um…no one. Just thinking, I guess." He shook his head and smiled disarmingly at the Brown Eye. "Did you want something?"

"I was just seeing if you were up," Bobby said with a shrug. "Breakfast is done. John and Marcus are already at the table."

"Okay."

Dean's stomach rumbled. Or, rather, it would have if he had actually been in his physical form. He was so hungry…He almost freaking moaned at the thought of food, but there was no way he and Sam could approach the table. Bobby didn't know they were there and he most likely wouldn't approve, would either call someone or do something about it himself. Dean's non-existent eyes flashed. He wouldn't be run out of this house that easily, he decided. He was so tired of being treated like crap just because he was a Green Eye.

"Actually," Castiel said slowly, thoughtfully, "could I maybe eat in here? …And have extras? I'm sorry…It's just, I'm starving…I haven't eaten in a while." He looked at Bobby with his wide, innocent eyes and it even made _Dean_ want to cave, and he wasn't even the one Castiel was talking to.

Bobby paused and then nodded. "Sure, I guess that's okay. I'll have John bring you some - I sure as hell ain't a server." He left the room, quietly closing the door behind him. Dean breathed out in relief and then materialized, moving away from Sam as he combed his fingers through his tangled, disheveled hair. How long had it been since he'd had a comb, a decent one? He couldn't remember. Hell, for that matter, he couldn't remember the last time he'd had a decent meal…at Sam's, maybe? But by the Eyes, that seemed like an eternity ago. His time spent in the company of that horrible, wicked, violet knife had seemed endless.

He shuddered physically at the thought, involuntarily, and then flinched when he felt Castiel's hand land lightly on his shoulder. He was currently sitting against the bed and Castiel was on it, leaning over it to frown at him worriedly, his blue eyes darkened with the faint touches of concern. For some reason, Dean really hated that he had that expression plastered on his face. It surely didn't fit him. "Cas…" he murmured.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he said with a scoff, waving him off. "Why did you ask for extras and to eat in here? Your ankle hurting again?" Despite himself, worry sparked within him and he went to reach for Castiel's ankle, even though he'd thought it was doing so much better.

"No," Castiel said quietly, shifting his ankle out of Dean's reach. "My ankle is fine. I asked for extra so you and Sam could eat too - I am sure you are both hungry."

Dean paused as his stomach growled violently in response. Castiel smirked at him and Dean scowled. "Okay, so I'm a little hungry," he admitted slowly. "Sue me already."

Castiel shook his head and then stopped, looking thoughtful and somewhat distracted and conflicted. Dean frowned at him.

_It's because I had my stupid arms around him…what the hell were you thinking, Dean? Really? You have to __**snuggle**__ while you sleep?_ He shook his head, shaking the thoughts away. "Look, Cas…" he started softly. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Castiel asked, confused, frowning at him. "For what, Dean?"

Dean rubbed awkwardly at the back of his neck as he averted his gaze toward the ground. "For, um…I think I got…kinda clingy in my sleep…and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, um…" Crap, but this was strange and awkward.

Castiel paused. "Why are you apologizing?"

Dean blinked at him. "What do you-" He broke off as the door to the room opened again. Instinctively, he vanished, smoking himself over Sam to shield him from view, but then relaxed when he saw that it was just John entering the room with surprisingly a lot of food balanced on a tray. Dean materialized again and smiled. "Morning, John."

"Dean," John said, nodding in greeting as he put the tray down on the bed. "I tried to make sure there was enough for all three of you. Sam still sleeping?" He looked down at his son fondly.

Dean nodded, eying the food as though it were the ultimate gift from the gods. His mouth instantly began to salivate, the wonderful, brilliant aroma wafting up his nostrils, attacking his senses. Castiel smiled at him and grabbed a sausage from one of the plates, handing it out to him. Dean snatched it and ate it quickly, as though someone was going to steal it from him even though he was fairly certain that wasn't going to happen.

John sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. "Hopefully we won't be here for too long, so you and Sam won't have to hide, but…"

"I understand," Dean said, shaking his head. It was safe for them here, for the time being, and it was a place to stay. To leave would mean to fully enter the city and risk running into Blue Eyes who could tell Dean and Sam were there if they really wanted to, even through the smoke shield Dean formed.

John nodded. "Well…I'd better get back before Bobby starts to wonder what the hell I'm doing in here." He shook his head. "The guy is pretty demanding when it comes to dishes…he'll think I'm slacking."

For some reason, the thought of John doing dishes tickled something within Dean, and for the first time in a long time, he started laughing. His shoulders started shaking first, a small tremble that quickly grew as chuckles tore from his lips. Castiel and John blinked at him as though in surprise, and then Castiel smirked. John just shook his head and left the room.

Dean sat on the bed next to Castiel and the food, eying Sam. "Should we wake him or keep the food for ourselves? Finders keepers after all."

Castiel shook his head. "We should let him wake on his own - he looks exhausted. But we should also leave him a sufficient amount."

Dean nodded, yawning. A blush suddenly crossed Castiel's face and Dean frowned at him. "Cas? What…?"

"Nothing," Castiel said quickly. "Just…um…thinking."

"…About?" Dean asked, quirking a delicate brow, a faint grin spreading across his face. Seeing Castiel blush was oddly amusing, he had to admit.

Castiel shook his head and held out another piece of sausage for him. "Sausage?"

He was holding it so close to Dean's face that, without thinking, Dean just leaned toward it a little and ate it from Castiel's hand, which definitely caused both of them to stiffen and blink at each other in surprise. _Holy shit, why did I just do that?_ Dean shouted through his mind as he continued chewing the sausage, not knowing what else to do. Castiel slowly lowered his hand and Dean stared at him, half expecting the Blue Eye to growl at him or something, because he shouldn't have done that. A guy didn't eat a sausage from another guy's hand, and especially not if said guy was a Green Eye eating from a Blue Eye. That was just…wrong.

For a long moment, they just sort of stared at each other. Castiel didn't seem to have to blink, which was a little odd, but kind of in a good way. It sort of made Dean just want to stare into those seemingly endless blue eyes, a color he used to hate with a great passion, but now he was finding a whole new outlook for that color, despite the fact that Blue Eyes had been the ones to use that horrible blade on him.

It took him a moment, but he finally realized that they were both leaning forward, toward each other, and were getting closer. Swallowing, he tore himself away, immediately smoking out of there despite the fact that his stomach was aching for food. He left the room quickly, leaving Castiel sitting on the bed, alone and looking around with confused eyes, and Sam asleep on the floor.

He had to get out of there. He wasn't sure what was going on.

* * *

Bobby didn't come around the rest of the day, for which Sam was grateful. He figured John had said something so he would leave Castiel alone in the room, which also meant Sam would be alone as well. However, going to the bathroom was a horrible problem, especially with Dean not there. He wasn't sure where the Green Eye had gone, or why, but he thought maybe Castiel knew. The Blue Eye in question had been moping around the better part of the day, keeping mostly quiet and to himself, which, granted, was kind of normal for him. But there was a dark look in his eyes, a glum, upset look that Sam couldn't quite place. He wanted to ask the Blue Eye about it but the words never seemed to come to mind.

They'd left some breakfast for Dean, but he'd never shown up. Now the food sat cold and forgotten on the bedside table. No doubt Bobby would be in to collect it in a little while, and if it wasn't gone, he would not allow Castiel to ask for so much food next time. Castiel had told him how he'd gotten the food for the three of them, but Dean had barely eaten, and then had taken off. Sam had the distinct impression that there was something Castiel wasn't telling him, but he didn't want to prod because it seemed obvious that the Blue Eye didn't want to talk about it.

He wished he knew what to say to make Castiel feel better, but he had no idea. He kept coming up empty, and he hoped Dean would return soon. He couldn't do much moving around without the Green Eye there to shield him from view, after all.

Except, when night came, Dean still wasn't back.

Sam slept on the floor even though he was sure Castiel found the bed cold and lonely due to the Green Eye's absence - but he had faith that Dean would return soon and he knew that despite Dean's protesting, he would rather sleep with Castiel than alone on the floor or with Sam. It was just a sort of instinct he had.

So he closed his eyes and went to sleep, hoping Dean would return soon so Castiel would stop moping. Being stuck in a room with an upset Blue Eye was definitely not his idea of 'fun'.

* * *

Castiel felt it, around two in the morning, when the bed dipped and warmth began to consume him. Swallowing, he waited until Dean settled under the covers before he rolled over and frowned at him. "Where were you?" he asked quietly into the darkness around them.

There was a long silence, even though Castiel could see the faint glow of his green eyes next to him. "Looking around. They haven't caught up to us yet…I didn't see any sign of them."

Castiel frowned. "You were looking for them?"

"Not really, just…checking the perimeter." His voice was quiet, his breath a warm puff of air as it slid across Castiel's face as Dean turned, facing him. "Did I wake you? Sorry."

"Are you okay?" He remembered the last time Dean had gone to check the perimeter.

"I'm fine. Get some sleep, Cas."

"We saved some food for you, if you want it. It's in the drawer over there. We hid it," Castiel told him.

There was another pause, shorter this time. "Thanks, Cas," Dean said sincerely.

Castiel nodded and then bit down on his lower lip. He wanted to talk about what had happened earlier, but he didn't want to run Dean off again. He didn't even honestly know what he was feeling, exactly, but he did know that it was a strong feeling, no matter how strange it was, and it only happened around Dean.

He felt Dean shift next to him, getting more comfortable in bed, and then there was the sound of his steady, deep, even breaths, signaling a contented sleep. Sighing, he figured it would have to wait until tomorrow…if he even decided to actually talk about it. He didn't want to run Dean off again, after all, and he wasn't even entirely sure what he was feeling anyway. It was probably just a fluke or something, nothing serious - nothing to worry about.

Right?

Sighing, he closed his eyes, suddenly missing the feel of Dean pressed against him as they had been this morning, but he figured that wasn't going to happen again.

For some reason, he felt distinctly saddened at the thought.

* * *

Sooooo...good, bad? Too rushed? Haha please let me know! And again, sorry for taking so long to update! Hopefully I will update quicker this time and there will be more action, haha. Anyway, thanks again, and please continue to review! Pweeeeeeze? Thanks!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	15. Chapter 15

Teehee yay! I updated in only a few days! ::does Gypsie dance:: Booya! Uh...yeah...lol anyway...really hoping we don't have school tomorrow...Stayed up late to finish this chapter, so hope you're happy! It's not as long as they usually are but yeah, haha. I said there was action...well...not really...not yet. Mostly there is some new information and a small glimpse into Marcus's background, and some Dean and Cas conversation near the end...but yeah that's about it, lol. I would make the chapter longer and probably do more Dean/Cas but I'm really tired right now and I need to be getting to bed just in case we DO have school tomorrow - we better not! SNOW SNOW SNOW! - but yeah...so...haha.

Gasp! I was supposed to update Dragon's Blood today...Ugh. I was working on that earlier...then came to this story...lol wow. But yeah, be happy! :)

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Fifteen

Marcus narrowed his eyes in slight annoyance, because although this Bobby character was kind enough to let them stay for several days, it was time to get going. He didn't want to necessarily take his annoyance out on the grizzled Brown Eye, but it was kind of tempting. He'd talked to John last night and had told him they needed to be leaving soon, as they'd already been here for going on four days, which was way longer than anticipated. The Blue Eyes would soon find them if they hung around, and then they would only be putting Bobby in danger as well, which wasn't right. He wanted to talk to Dean about it, since he was the one that had to shield Sam all the time, but that was just it - Dean was always either smoking around or shielding Sam while in smoke form, and Marcus never freaking saw him. There was no way the two of them could talk unless Marcus snuck over to Castiel's room in the middle of the night, which would be hard to explain if Bobby found out.

Every few hours, Marcus left to check the perimeter. He'd teleport around, appear on the edge of the city, then zap himself elsewhere, all around the house about a mile or so each way, just in case. No one was ever there, which left him thinking that maybe the Blue Eyes had really given up. Maybe they didn't care that a few had escaped - after all, they had plenty of Green Eyes to torture…and Hazel Eyes, too. Sometimes they picked other Eyes, but it was mostly Green Eyes and some Hazel Eyes. He himself had been such a Green Eye, pummeled with that horrible knife until he begged for death but wasn't given mercy. A shudder coursed through him at the memory, a branch of pain striking heavily through his mind.

Eventually, though, he'd given it, as everyone did. Either that or they were finally killed and given the sweet release of death. He'd seen other driven mad by the blade, had nearly been driven insane himself, but he'd caved. He'd agreed to do as they asked, had willingly picked up the blade to strike new victims, just pleased he hadn't had to go through it himself. Of course, part of the process was to pretend to befriend said victim and get stabbed again, but it was mostly bearable because he knew it wouldn't last long, but if he denied the Blue Eyes what they were doing, what they were planning, he himself would take the Green Eye's place, or whatever Eye their victim was at the time, and be forced to endure that horrid, nightmare-inducing violet knife.

He teleported himself back to the house and then paused, looking around before he teleported into Castiel's room. Dean immediately vanished, smoking out of there quickly, and Sam was nowhere in sight - neither was Castiel. He wondered where they were, but then heard the toilet flush in the other room. Castiel, if Dean or Sam had to go to the bathroom, had to go in there as well and turn around so Bobby would think it was him using it and not some random ghost-like person living in his house. "It's just me," he said into thin air, feeling kind of stupid for doing so. "C'mon, Dean."

Dean materialized with a scowl. "Don't just pop in like that! I could have been changing or something," he grumbled, shaking his head as he sat on the bed in the room. "What's up, Marco?"

"Don't call me that," Marcus said, narrowing his topaz eyes. "We should be leaving here soon. If the Blue Eyes are still searching for us, they are going to soon find us. Teleportation can only go so far - nearly a hundred miles. We have a long way to go."

Dean blinked at him. "Teleportation? They're Blue Eyes!" He paused. "And what was it your were saying earlier, about them turning into Topaz Eyes on us? That's not even possible!"

Marcus shook his head. "It is," he said quietly. "It really is."

"How?" Dean asked.

They were interrupted as the door opened and Sam and Castiel hurried in. Marcus scowled and then grabbed Dean's arm. "Outside. Now."

Then he teleported out of there and waited impatiently as Dean smoked out of the house and popped into physical form in front of him, frowning. They were a few yards away from the house, shielded by trees, where they would most likely be uninterrupted. At least, Marcus hoped so.

"How?" Dean asked again, his voice soft and unsure.

"Michael…and his army…"

"Army? That guy has a fucking army?" Dean combed his fingers through his hair, shaking his head. "Well, that's just _great_!"

"He's creating a new breed of Eyes," Marcus told him slowly. "First he's torturing them with that knife, mostly Green Eyes and Hazel Eyes, but sometimes there are other Eyes there as well."

Dean went still at the mention of the knife. Marcus had to admit it still put a foul taste in his own mouth as well. "What do you mean?" Dean questioned, frowning at him. "Torturing people…that's what they were doing to me. Fuck, were they trying to change _me_ or something?"

Marcus nodded. "That's exactly what they were trying to do. First they torture the, um…Green Eye or Hazel Eye in question. Then the Eyes eventually crack, you know…they give in. And they agree to be _changed_ so the pain will stop."

"Changed how?" Dean asked. "You can't change Eyes! It's just not possible."

Marcus shook his head. "It is, Dean. Why do you think Michael is so strong, huh? He's not a fucking Blue Eye anymore! He's more than that, something much more powerful, something they were going to make _you_ into as well…and once you become one of them, you have no group to call your own. Sure, Dean, maybe it's bad to be a Green Eye…but at least you have a home. What they change you into…there's nowhere. You become a wannabe Eye, able to filter between any Eye you wish, change who you are, everything…It's a complex process, but it can be done. It just takes time."

Dean frowned deeply, his brows furrowing in confusion. "I don't understand," he said slowly. "But that's not possible…right? And why would you want to become changed? Fuck, if _Michael_ is behind it, it can't be that great!"

"It's a choice, Dean," Marcus said. "For those like Green Eyes and Hazel Eyes who have been discriminated for so long, hated merely because of their eye color, it's like a ray of hope. And most of the time, the Eyes are willing to do whatever it takes to get away from that knife. I'm sure you know the feeling." His eyes narrowed on Dean as the Green Eye flinched, paling at the thought of that violet knife.

"How is it possible, though?"

"I don't really know all of it," Marcus admitted. "I just know that it's something genetic. It's painful, but after that bout with the knife, nothing is really ever painful again, is it?"

Dean narrowed his eyes at him, frowning. "You seem to know a lot about it," he commented slowly. "Did they…change you?"

"Yes." Marcus didn't see the point in lying about it, after all. He watched as Dean's eyes widened slightly. "I used to be like you, Dean. I was just a Green Eye. And then, one day, I was captured. I was tortured and cut into by that _knife_ and then I caved. Just like everyone else, I gave in, begged for it to _end_. Know the feeling?"

"Yes," Dean choked, glaring at the ground.

"And then they changed me. I don't really remember much of the process, I just know there was pain but it was almost like a relief, you know? A different kind of pain, not nearly as intense as that blade. And when it was over, I…I was different. I was no longer a Green Eye."

"What were you?" Dean asked. "Did you just wake up a…Topaz Eye?" He still seemed confused but at least he was beginning to accept the idea of this change that Michael had planned.

"I was a White Eye," Marcus told him slowly, quietly, his voice just above a faint whisper as memories sparked through his mind. "A clean slate. A White Eye ready to be programmed to be any Eye I wanted…"

* * *

_Two Years Ago…_

_Michael woke with a splitting headache. His memory didn't want to work correctly, but it wasn't like he was complaining. All he could remember was pain and a violet glow as a blade sliced through him so easily, as though he were nothing. But he wasn't anything, was he? Just a lowly Green Eye to be tortured until he begged for mercy, and then some more after that. Shuddering at the thought, he blinked his eyes open and found himself strapped to a table, staring up at the stark white ceiling above him. For a long moment, he lay there silently, blinking in utter confusion as his head ached and throbbed. Then he shifted on the bed and listened as people entered the room._

_Blue Eyes stood over him. He didn't recognize any of them, but then again, why would he? He was a Green Eye and thus didn't really get to see Blue Eyes…except for the ones that had been slicing into him with that awful knife. But they weren't in the room either, thank the Eyes, and he felt like he could breathe a little._

_The straps holding him into place, the leather cords around his wrists and ankles, were removed and he sat up slowly. A Blue Eye handed him a glass of water and he greedily drank it down, suddenly parched even though he wasn't sure as to why. Coughing, he breathed in deeply and then finished off the water, looking around as though for more. _

"_Welcome back to the land of the living," a Blue Eye commented with a smirk._

_Marcus frowned. "W-What do you mean?" He hated the way his voice trembled, the way he stammered, his voice rough with misuse and his throat hoarse from all of his horrible screaming._

"_You underwent a complex change," another Blue Eye told him gravely. "How do you feel?"_

"_F-Fine."_

_He wished he could stop stammering but his voice was picky and wouldn't allow it. Swallowing thickly, his fingers curled into the solid mattress beneath him._

"_What happened?" he asked, thankful his voice didn't tremble this time._

"_A complex change," the Blue Eye repeated, and then gestured for a mirror. "Take a look at you now."_

_Marcus swallowed again, confused, and reached out for the small, handheld mirror they gave him. He flipped it around and peered into it, staring with ample, wide eyes that were full of shock._

_Pure white stared back at him. He didn't even have an iris anymore, but he could still see. It was just all white, so bright and clean, untarnished. "W-What?" he stammered again, staring._

"_A clean slate," another Blue Eye chuckled. "Welcome to being a White Eye, Marcus. What Eye would you like to be?"_

"_What?" he asked dumbly, and then flinched when the Blue Eye next to him moved, expecting to be hit or something._

"_What Eye would you like to be?" they repeated. "Blue, Brown, Gray…Topaz? Pick."_

"_I actually…what?"_

"_You can change Eyes now, Marcus. You are a White Eye. You will choose your primary Eye and the rest will soon follow," the Blue Eye said to him, grinning._

_Marcus swallowed. He'd only ever been a Green Eye in his life, and thus this new change was startling. He was still terrified, scared that they were going to whip out the knife on him, which was why he only wanted to please them, wanted to do good so he wasn't punished like he had been so many times before._

_He figured he couldn't choose to be a Blue Eye. That was just absurd, jumping from a Green Eye to a Blue Eye, the highest ranked of all Eyes. Gray Eyes were probably out of the question too, since they were ranked second. Brown Eyes…there was a majority of them already, and so they probably would be somewhat annoyed if he chose to be one of them._

_A Topaz Eye, maybe? He'd always wanted to be able to actually teleport and not just smoke around…_

_Then maybe he could get the hell out of here._

_Swallowing again, he murmured, "Topaz Eye."_

"_What?"_

"_I would l-like to be a Topaz Eye," he told them._

_They nodded in unison, which was more than a little creepy._

"_Very well," they said._

* * *

_Present Day…_

Marcus shook his head, shaking off the thoughts and memories of that time. It was so long ago, it seemed, and thus wasn't important anymore, right? "Anyway…I become a Topaz Eye. They chose to be primarily a Blue Eye, but that doesn't mean they can't change into a Topaz Eye if they want. They can find us easily, Dean. Just like I found you when you were running with the others." He swallowed. "We have to keep moving. We need to get out of here as soon as possible."

Dean's shoulders slumped somewhat in defeat. "But if they can just teleport to us whenever they want to…then what's the point? We're all dead men anyway." His head hung low, his bangs falling into his face.

Marcus stared, because that was the most defeated he'd heard Dean talk the entire time he'd known him, and that included when he'd been attacked by that knife, had been tortured. His eyes narrowed and he glared furiously at Dean, grabbing his shoulders to shake him. "Don't do that," he snapped angrily. "Don't give up, damn it, you've come this fucking far! I didn't last nearly as long as you did, and you even had the fucking strength to tell them to _stop_ when they were knifing _me_! I would have thought you would have been relieved, like all the…others. The others before you…the ones I helped turn…" He swallowed again and hung his head low in shame. "Don't give up…because if you do, then you're just like me. And…you're better than that."

He was sure of that, at least.

Dean blinked at him, surprised. "You…were trying to _convert_ me?" he snapped suddenly.

"Dean…"

"What the hell?" Dean angrily shoved away from him, narrowing his eyes. "I fucking trusted you, you bastard! And here I thought you were actually becoming my _friend_! All along you were just pretending!" Dean spun away from him furiously, little sparks of flame igniting around his hands as they twitched slightly at his sides.

One could always tell when a Green Eye was extremely angry. They were definitely hotheads.

"Dean…I'm sorry," Marcus apologized with more sincerity than he could remember ever possessing before. "I'm _sorry_. I was just doing my _job_, okay? Being _good_. I'm sure you can understand that. I'm terrified of that fucking knife just like you! I caved, was changed, and was given a job! What would you have done, Dean, if you were me?"

Dean swallowed and spun back to face him, his eyes still narrowed but not as hard or angered as they were before. "I would have fought it," he murmured. "I would have tried to keep others from being tortured. But you…you were acting. You didn't really care if I was hurt or not, did you?" The defeated look overtook his face again as he shook his head helplessly. "And when they stabbed you? Was that part of your plan? The truth, Marcus." Dean's eyes narrowed on him.

"Yes," Marcus whispered, his mouth suddenly dry. "Yes. I'm _sorry_, Dean. It…was the final part of the plan…to get you trust me…to cave…"

Dean shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. "I can't fucking believe you!" he spat hatefully.

"I was just doing my job!" Marcus snapped. "I thought you would be like everyone else! Everyone else I helped convert, they didn't once think to help me! They cared only for themselves, cared only about the knife not being on _them_, and that's why they caved! _You_ didn't do that! You still had enough strength to care, Dean, and that's why I helped you! That's why I finally fought back!"

Dean shook his head once more. "Doesn't really matter now, does it?" His voice was soft, distant…defeated. Again. He scrubbed a hand over his face. "They're going to find us. Torture us some more. Kill us, change us, whatever. And then you're going to go right back to working for them like nothing ever happened." He sighed. "And all I ever had to do was follow three simple rules…and now look where I am."

Marcus didn't know what rules Dean was talking about, but then again, he was probably just talking to himself on that last part. "Dean…stop. I realize I messed up. But you don't understand! I broke, you didn't! I'd had enough and I gave in. And I just wanted to be _good_ so I wouldn't be _punished_ with that awful knife. And when they told me to befriend someone to help convert them, I gladly did it, I will admit. But I never hurt anyone. I never touched them. I did my part and left…but…with you it's different." He shook his head, sighing heavily. "I don't know why…it just is."

Dean frowned at him. "They're still going to find us, Marcus. And what are you going to do then? Turn on us so you can be _good_?"

"No," Marcus said, and was surprised at how deep he felt it. "No. I wouldn't do that. I won't become that again."

Dean quirked a brow at him slowly. "Really?"

"Yes. Really." And he meant it.

He wasn't going to become what he once was - a helper who befriended tortured people to make them convert willingly into becoming a blank slate, a pawn in Michael's game.

Well, no more.

* * *

Castiel watched as Dean appeared in the room, looking spent and tired…and defeated? That didn't really make much sense and it worried him a little, as Dean had always seemed like the strong one of the group, the who never said die, who never gave in. Dean marched directly to the bed and collapsed, rolling toward the wall to shield himself away from everyone else. Sam and Castiel shared look and shrugged, because neither of them knew what was wrong.

There was a small knock at the door. Sam jumped to the other side of the room to hide and Castiel tried to stand in such a position that Dean was mostly shielded from view, as it seemed Dean didn't feel like smoking around at the moment. The door opened and John appeared, making them sigh.

"Bobby left for a while to go into the city for groceries," he said. "Marcus went with him…so I guess it's okay to come out for a little bit, if you want. I'm sure you're sick of being cooped up."

Sam nodded quickly, smiling at his father. "Yeah, thanks, Dad." He frowned at Castiel. "Talk to him, yeah?" Then he zoomed out of the room and shut the door behind him, leaving Castiel alone with a glum Dean.

Sighing, Castiel sat down on the edge of the bed, not sure what to say or what to do to break the ice in this kind of situation. "Dean?" he asked slowly, frowning down at him. "Are you okay?"

"Fine." His voice was clipped and taut.

That wasn't very reassuring.

"…What did Marcus want?"

"Fucking nothing."

Yeah…Dean seemed kind of pissed.

Slowly, unsure of himself, Castiel reached out a hand and rested it on Dean's shoulder. "Is everything okay? Do you want to talk?"

"I'm not a fucking chick. I don't talk."

"You're talking right now," Castiel snarked back, frowning.

Dean sighed and finally rolled over to face him, his green eyes darker than usual. "Do you ever feel…like this is all just hopeless? Like we're fighting a drastically losing battle? Don't you ever just…want to give up?"

"Where is all this coming from?" Castiel asked, alarmed at Dean's words. "We can't give up…we're so close! We made it out alive and together and everything. We have to keep going. We can't give in, Dean."

Dean shrugged. "I don't know…maybe."

"Why are you thinking like this?"

"Just…was talking to Marcus, that's all."

"What did he say?"

"Not much."

Castiel narrowed his eyes because he could tell Dean wasn't telling him everything. "Dean."

Dean sighed and pulled the covers up and over his head. "I'm going to sleep. Night."

"It's noon, Dean."

"Don't fucking care. Night." He rolled over, toward the wall, still buried under the covers.

Castiel frowned at him for a long moment and then grabbed his shoulder again. "Dean…c'mon. You should talk or something…otherwise I won't know what's bothering you."

"Nothing. I'm fine, Cas. Leave it."

"Dean…"

"Please."

Castiel blinked. Dean rarely said please, if ever, and that was what finally urged him to release his grip and move away slightly. "Okay, Dean," he whispered. "Alright. Just…I'm here."

"I know," Dean murmured. "…Thanks, Cas."

Castiel nodded even though he knew Dean couldn't see him.

He was always going to be there for when Dean was ready.

* * *

Sooo...what do you think? lol. I promise I will bring in the real action soon! I'm not sure what to do first...hectic storyline or some slashy goodness? haha anywho ;) Thanks for reading and please continue to leave your wonderful, inspiring reviews! They keep me going! Thanks!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	16. Chapter 16

O.o Honestly don't know where this chapter came from, haha, but here it is ;) I hope this sort of mixes my previous choices of slash and hectic? Well, we'll see, lol. I don't know, sadly, when the next chapter will be written. Depending on if we have school tomorrow or not, it might be written tomorrow. Otherwise, I don't know, because I really need to update Reverberating Footsteps and Dragon's Blood, haha. But yeah ;)

Anyway! Enough of me rambling. Bobby meets Dean ;) And, um...joy? lol.

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Sixteen

Castiel was running. There was someone behind him, someone familiar, someone he knew and trusted, but then why was he running from them if he trusted them? Something was wrong. His shirt was ripped, bruises marring his face, his heart racing frantically in his chest as he urged his feet to move quicker. He could hear people hurrying after him all around him, could hear them gaining on him, could practically feel them closing in, and suddenly he felt like a fish in a barrel. There was nowhere to turn, nowhere to run or hide, and he was coming up to the Abyss. He shouldn't go there, he knew, but suddenly being surrounded by a bunch of cruel Green Eyes was so much better than who was following him.

_Faster,_ he demanded of his feet, clawing his way through branches, feeling them nip at his skin and clothes, tearing into the fabric and into him even more. Dried blood coated his skin in various places but he didn't care - all he could think about was how much he wanted to _get away_, even though, at the moment, he couldn't remember who he was running from, or even why, if they were so familiar and he knew and trusted them. It didn't quite make sense in his mind.

The boundary to the Abyss was quickly approaching. It wasn't much, like one would think, just a jagged cut in the earth and a quick, downward slant, a sharp hill. A sign stood rooted into the ground, tattered and practically forgotten, but Castiel could still read the words written in red.

_Warning! Now entering the Abyss!_

He dove past the sign, hoping that whoever it was that was following him would stop. He didn't know why he was running, just knew that he had to keep going and pray that they would not catch him. For a few more long moments, he ran, gasping for breath. He couldn't hear them anymore and he hoped that his plan had worked, that they had stopped after he'd entered the Abyss. After all, why would they come here?

And then his foot tangled in a root, his ankle twisting, and down he went, down a small hill. He rolled violently through bushes and sharp twigs, wincing as rocks stabbed painfully into him. Then he finally came to land at the bottom of the hill, his leg bent out painfully due to his ankle. Wincing, he felt pain stab sharply into his head.

And suddenly he couldn't remember why he was here. His mind whispered to him, telling him that he did not want to know, that knowing was horrid and bad and that this was what was best for him, but he fought against it, wanting to know what was going on, what was happening. Still, though, the memories wouldn't come. Already, his reasons for entering the Abyss were fading, flickering into nothing.

And he was alone in a place he didn't know, didn't recognize…he couldn't even remember the name of it. All he knew was that he was surrounded by trees, resting on the ground, and his ankle felt like it was on fire.

And then, of all things, someone tripped over him and he was met with sharp green eyes….

"Cas!" a voice was calling out to him, tearing him away from the dream, and he snapped his eyes open quickly, gasping for breath.

"D-Dean?" he whispered, looking around as though searching for the dark blonde-headed guy. He found him nestled warmly into his side, and for a small moment, was a little confused. Then he realized that his arms were wrapped tightly around the Green Eye, forcing him to be so close. He was clinging like a cat, claws and all. "Sorry…" he uttered, feeling his cheeks grow hot with a dark blush as he averted his gaze, slowly unwinding his arms from the warm body next to him.

But, thankfully, Dean didn't move away. "Is everything okay?" Dean asked worriedly, his green eyes bright with concern. "You were shouting. Nightmare?"

"Something like that," Castiel said slowly, struggling to remember exactly what it was the dream had been about. Why was it that, when Dean had stumbled across him in the Abyss, he had remembered nothing of how he'd gotten there? But suddenly it was clear to him. He had been running, struggling to get away, but from who, he didn't know. Unconsciously, his fingers curled around the fabric of Dean's shirt, the Green Eye remaining close, his presence calming even as Castiel's heart stuttered in fear as he remembered the despair and terror he'd felt as he'd been darting through those trees, trying to get away.

"Cas?" Dean's breath was warm as it rolled across his face. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Castiel shook his head and cleared his throat. "What time is it?"

"Uh…like two or something. Sam's still with John, I think, and Marcus and Bobby are still, as far as I know, at the store. What's wrong?"

"I just…I think I remembered something."

"Yeah?" Dean's eyebrows rose as he sat up, smirking. "That's great!"

Castiel frowned at him, sitting up as well. "I'm not so sure."

"Huh? Why not? What did you remember?" Dean asked, frowning in confusion. Castiel shifted his gaze away, tugging nervously at the fabric of his jeans, wondering if he should tell Dean why he ran into the Abyss in the first place. Did it really matter? It wasn't like he remembered all that much anyway, just a snippet of memory. Dean's hand rested warmly on his shoulder, causing him to glance at the Green Eye. "Cas?"

"I was running. That's…why I entered the Abyss."

"Running?" Dean's brow furrowed even further. "What do you mean? Why?"

"Someone was chasing me."

"Who?"

"I don't know…I don't remember. I just remember I was…scared. But I knew the person, the people. They were familiar and I trusted them, but I can't remember why. I don't remember why they were after me, or what happened before that so that I was running, but I was…and then I don't know. I fell down a hill and landed and you found me, and I couldn't remember anything. I…" He bit down on his lower lip, thinking of something.

It kind of made sense, if he stopped to think about it. Actually, it explained a lot of things.

"What, Cas?" Dean asked, urging him to continue as he tightened his grip on his shoulder.

Castiel released a slow, quiet breath. Even so, it resonated throughout the room, signaling the silence around them. "I…I think I made myself forget."

"What?" Dean blinked at him, not understanding. "What do you mean? How?"

"I think I just…my mind _made_ me forget. Like a block or something. Actually, it explains a lot."

"How so?"

"I mean…if you haven't noticed already, I'm not strong, Dean." He bowed his head somewhat in shame, because he didn't feel like he was really bringing anything to the table. John could levitated, Sam could be ruthless when he had to be - he was remembering when Dean had first revealed himself as a Green Eye to him - and Dean could smoke and control fire. He was fierce and yet caring. Marcus could teleport and he'd helped free them. What was Castiel bringing to the table? Nothing that he could think of. "I don't have…abilities."

"Sure you do, Cas," Dean said. "And you're strong. Okay?"

"No." He shook his head sadly. "I'm not." His shoulders slumped slightly as he sighed heavily. "I may be a Blue Eye, Dean, but I can't seem to…do much with what I'm supposed to be able to do. I'm nothing like Michael…he's strong." Something about Michael suddenly put a strikingly bitter taste in his mouth for reasons he couldn't understand.

Dean's face twisted. "Yeah, well, Michael's not exactly _normal_."

"What do you mean? He's a Blue Eye. Same as me."

"No, Cas, he's not like you. And that's good - that really is. He's bad and you're not. But…he's also really strong and he _shouldn't_ be."

"What do you mean?" Sure, Castiel had noticed that Michael seemed to have some new, nifty abilities, but what did that mean? Maybe Michael was just farther along than Castiel or something. Maybe Castiel could do it too if he could just _use_ his abilities like he was supposed to be able to.

Dean sighed and pinched at the bridge of his nose. "Marcus was talking to me…he said…Michael's not a normal Eye. He's creating some kind of _army_ or something. Fuck, I don't know. He's not normal. He can _change_ Eyes, Cas. _Change Eyes_!"

"That's not possible," Castiel said slowly. It wasn't that he didn't believe Dean's words - he believed everything Dean told him. He trusted Dean on a level he'd never trusted anyone before, at least that he could remember - but maybe Dean was confused. Maybe Marcus had lied to him or something and had gotten him to believe it.

Dean shook his head. "That's what I thought, too. They're capturing Green Eyes and Hazel Eyes, torturing them with that _knife_-" the shudder than ran through Dean didn't escape Castiel's notice- "and then they _change_ them. They turn you into what Marcus calls White Eyes, a clean slate, ready to be programmed. He said he used to be a Green Eye, Cas…like me."

Castiel frowned. "How is that possible?"

"I don't know, I really don't. But doesn't it make sense? Michael's strong, Cas…stronger than he should be. And it would explain the…torturing." Dean bit down on his lower lip and then shook his head. "They were trying to get me ready for something, Cas. They were _preparing_. That's how they convert people into becoming these new Eyes. I don't know how it's possible, but apparently it is. That's what Marcus meant by them 'changing into Topaz Eyes on us'."

A frown marred Castiel's face. "But…if that's true, Dean…then why are we running?" He was just curious.

Dean's expression shifted and blanked. "Welcome to the problem, Cas. Aren't we all dead anyway?" Dean shrugged. "Well. Maybe you're not, but me and Sam? Yeah. Pretty damn dead."

"Don't say that," Castiel chided, narrowing his eyes. "They're not going to come after us. They would have already. Right?"

Another shrug from the Green Eye. "I don't know, honest. Maybe they're just waiting. I don't know. But Marcus is worried, and he's been with them for a while, so-"

"He's _with _them?" Castiel cut in, his brows raising in question.

Dean paused momentarily. "Sorta. Well, he used to, I guess. But he says he's changed is ways and all that, so whatever. I guess we can believe him." He paused again. "Hey, you're a Blue Eye - can't you just probe his thoughts or something and find out if he's lying?"

Castiel looked away. "I told you, Dean, I'm not strong. I cannot seem to access my abilities."

"You did in there," Dean said, frowning suddenly. "I may have been kinda…I don't know…cowardly for a while, afraid of the knife, but…I remember something. You told that Gray Eye to do something and he did it. How did you do that if you say you have no powers?"

Castiel paused, because that was true. On a few occasions, he'd been able to manipulate Gray Eyes to make them do as he said. Why he was able to do that, he didn't fully know or understand, but it was a start. "Maybe…I think my mind is purposefully blocking out my memories and abilities or something. Like I'm on lockdown."

"Why?"

"I don't know…maybe something bad happened? I honestly don't know, Dean." He shook his head. "I mean, that's part of being a Blue Eye…being able to…do that, but I don't know how I tap into it or anything. What good am I if I can't even do something when I want to?"

"Hey, don't talk like you're not useful or strong," Dean told him, nudging him slightly with his shoulder, resting his hand warmly on his arm. "You are, okay? I promise."

Castiel smiled faintly. "Thanks, Dean," he murmured quietly, swallowing.

Dean smirked. "No problem."

Castiel sighed and then, before he could fully register what he was doing, his lips suddenly met with Dean's. Tendrils of warmth crawled through him, making him feel as though he truly belonged, which was not a feeling he could ever remember having. Dean was stiff against him but his mouth was wet and warm, inviting. The kiss was sloppy and not at all neat, and Castiel pulled back quickly, licking at his mouth as he stared at Dean, trying to get his reaction out of this. Green eyes stared back at him in shock.

"I…I…" Castiel said stupidly. "I'm sorry!"

Dean swallowed and touched a hand to his mouth. Then he shook his head. "I-I'm gonna go see if Bobby's on his way back…Try to get some more sleep or something." Then he promptly vanished and got the hell out of there, leaving Castiel alone on the bed, blinking at where he had once been.

_Shit,_ Castiel thought to himself. _What were you thinking?_

He hoped he hadn't just ruined everything.

* * *

Bobby had let Marcus travel ahead of him. Well, actually, he'd let the Topaz Eye teleport back to the house with the groceries so Bobby himself didn't have to carry anything. Nifty, eh? Smirking to himself, he continued walking, quietly humming beneath his breath. He was getting closer to the house. Just about ten minutes away, really. Good, he could go for a nice refreshing drink and his comfortable chair. He was tired.

He rounded a corner and then stopped when he saw someone walking through the trees, their feet worrying at the ground as they kicked at the dirt and grass as though distracted. They had to be not to notice him, because they both practically ran into each other. "Balls," Bobby muttered as he jumped back so as not to run into the person, and they shot their head up to stare at him. He stared right back, mouth gaping.

The guy was a Green Eye, with dark blonde hair and freckles. They frowned at him for a moment and then took a step back, which in turn made him hastily pull his gun from the hidden pocket on his jacket. Quickly, he took aim and fired, not knowing why a Green Eye was around here, out of the Abyss, but he knew it couldn't be good.

The guy yelped and vanished, but obviously not quickly enough. They flickered in and out and then dropped to the ground as they grasped at their shoulder, their green eyes flickering in pain as they stared up at Bobby. Bobby approached the Green Eye, narrowing his eyes. He aimed his gun again. "What are you doing out of the Abyss?"

The Green Eye shook his head. "Not here to…cause you problems," he said slowly, wincing as blood ran through his fingers. "Was just…walking around."

"Yeah right," he growled. "What are you doing out of the Abyss? If you don't answer me, I know a Blue Eye who can probe your fucking mind."

Castiel was a Blue Eye, after all. He could easily do it. He probably knew this Green Eye was here already and would come soon enough to dispose of him or question him or something. Bobby wasn't entirely sure of the logistics, but still.

The Green Eye shook his head. "Don't mean to…cause any arm. Just…" Another sharp wince. "Fuck, that hurts…" He started to flicker and Bobby knew he was about to smoke away, like Green Eyes often did. Before he could, he cocked his gun further and kicked the guy with his foot, causing him to fall over in pain. "Fuck, man! Bobby!"

"How do you know my name?" Bobby snarled, really thinking about shooting and killing this idjit. They were trespassing, after all. His territory, his land. The guy had probably been spying on him as well. And he had the audacity to say he didn't mean any harm! Yeah right!

The Green Eye shook his head and let said head slump to the ground in defeat as he released his shoulder and spread his arms out wide. "Go ahead," he breathed finally, his voice a low whisper. "Shoot. You know...you want to. I'm not going... to stop you - I'm a dead man anyway."

Bobby wasn't sure what got to him. He really didn't know. But suddenly this was sounding like a tired little kid. This person didn't even seem to be twenty yet, if Bobby was guessing his age correctly, and he was usually never wrong about these things. He was practically still just a kid, a kid who sounded too defeated for his age. Bobby scowled. "I'm not going to kill you, you idjit. Get up."

"Just shoot me."

The Green Eye was _asking_ for death? Bobby shook his head, frowning at the kid. "How old are you, Green Eye?"

"The hell's that matter?"

"Answer me."

"Not the...boss of me, old man. You gonna...shoot or what?"

"What are you doing out of the Abyss?"

"Why...do you care? You're a Brown Eye and...I'm a Green Eye - shoot already."

"I'm not going to kill you, idjit. What's your name?"

"Does it really matter? Face it...it's not like you really give a damn. I'm a Green Eye, right? You don't care. So...kill me already. I know...you're going to. What's the point in...dragging this out?" The Green Eye winced and clutched at his shoulder again, his breaths turning shaky. Now that Bobby looked at him, really looked at him, he could see that the blood was spilling out at a rapid pace.

_Crap…must have hit an artery. Would have been fine if he hadn't moved!_

It wasn't like Bobby shot to kill. He just wanted his questions answered. "Get up, Green Eye. Tell me your name."

"Why?" the kid breathed, frowning at him. His eyes were quickly becoming glazed. Another wince and he let his head loll to the side, his eyes sliding closed.

"You're not dying on me, kid. Keep awake. If you had just stood still you'd be fine."

"Yeah," the Green Eye breathed with a weak chuckle, "silly of me...to move when a guy is planning on shooting me. What...was I thinking?"

"Idjit."

Marcus suddenly appeared next to them. With a frown, he looked from Bobby to the Green Eye and then gasped. "Dean," he hissed, moving toward him to go to his knees next to him.

"Dean?" Bobby frowned. "Do you know him or something?"

"Yes," Marcus snapped. "What the hell did you do?"

"Bobby's…trigger happy," Dean mumbled with a sigh. "What…are you doing here?"

"I heard a shot," Marcus said, scowling. He glared at Bobby. "Why did you shoot him?"

"He's a Green Eye out of the Abyss!" Bobby said in his defense.

"So?" Marcus glared angrily. To be honest, this was pretty much the most the Topaz Eye had spoken to him in the whole time he'd been staying at the house. For the most part, Marcus was quiet and mostly kept to himself a lot. Now that Bobby knew he seemed to know this Green Eye, it was making him wonder.

"Why is he out of the Abyss?" Bobby asked.

"Does that really matter? You shot him! Levitate him and get him back to the house. I'll go tell the others to get ready."

"What?" Bobby blinked at him stupidly.

Dean let out a breathy chuckle. "Getting…slow in your old…age there, huh, Brown Eye?"

Bobby narrowed his eyes and pocketed his gun. "Alright," he said to Marcus. "I'll bring him back to the house. Do the others, Castiel and John…do they know him too?"

"Yes," Marcus said simply, and then teleported out of there.

Bobby sighed and looked down at the Green Eye, Dean. "You have a lot of explaining to do, kid."

"Stop…calling me kid," Dean breathed, closing his eyes again. "Get with...the lifting already."

Bobby rolled his eyes. What had he gotten himself into? A mouthy Green Eye. Go figure.

He sighed and levitated the Green Eye into the air, keeping him as steady as possible due to the shoulder wound and the blood spurting out. Ouch. He'd really messed him up there. He hoped he didn't bleed out before they got back to the house.

The would be messy.

And he had a feeling he'd have an angry Topaz Eye on his hands. And if Castiel and John knew Dean too, they might be pretty pissed at him as well.

Troublesome Green Eye.

* * *

Castiel worried. Nearly an hour had passed and Dean still wasn't back yet. He was only further worried because they'd heard a gunshot a moment ago, and the only ones who were out were Dean and Bobby. Marcus had returned a moment ago, teleporting into the living room and thoroughly scaring the crap out of Sam, causing the Hazel Eye to jump about a foot in the air, which had actually been highly amusing. At least, John had thought so. Castiel had been too glum to even smile, not like ever did much anyway, though, right?

"I'm going to go see what that was," Marcus said slowly. "Wait here in case Dean comes back."

And then he teleported out of there.

"So…" Sam said slowly. "What happened?" John was in the other room now, having shaken his head at Sam before he'd taken to the kitchen to get himself something to drink.

"What do you mean?" Castiel deadpanned.

Sam shrugged. "You seem down. And Dean left. Did something happen?"

"I don't know what you mean. Nothing happened." There was no way he was going to tell Sam about what had transpired in the room while he'd been gone. How he and Dean had fallen asleep, how he'd woken clutching at Dean after having a dream memory, how Dean had told him of the White Eyes and Marcus…and especially not how he had _kissed_ Dean. Kissed him! Why the hell had he done that? It wasn't right. Not only were they both male, but Dean was a Green Eye and Castiel was a Blue Eye! Okay, so…that didn't really matter to him. He didn't care what kind of Eye Dean was. Secretly he liked Dean's green eyes. He thought they lit Dean's face up when he smiled, and they seemed to show the inner depths of his soul, his true character.

Even so, it still wasn't right. They were both guys. They were friends, tentatively. He sure thought of Dean as a friend but he wasn't so sure Dean felt the same, and he didn't want to pry. But now he might have just gone and ruined everything.

But…how upset would Dean be about it? He hadn't growled at Castiel for latching onto him in his sleep, hadn't tried to roll away or anything. He'd eaten the sausage from Castiel's hand…how bothered could he be? A part of Castiel worried that he'd definitely crossed a line, some imaginary line that Dean seemed to follow, and he wondered if he could fix what he'd done.

"Are you sure?" Sam asked, watching him.

Castiel shifted beneath the Hazel Eye's gaze. "Yes." It wasn't any of Sam's business anyway. Plus he didn't quite feel comfortable talking about it. He didn't even understand what exactly it was he felt for Dean in the first place, so how was he supposed to talk about it? Simple; he wasn't.

"Where did he go?" Sam asked.

"He said he was going out to see if Bobby was coming."

Sam's brow furrowed. "Do you think…"

Castiel frowned. "What?"

"Does Bobby own a gun?"

Castiel's eyes went wide. "He wouldn't shoot Dean," he said surely, even though really, inside, he wasn't sure at all. Already his mind was racing as he thought about it. Bobby did seem like the kind of person to own a gun, maybe even keep one on him when he left the house…but to just randomly shoot Dean? Why?

Then again, Bobby was a Brown Eye and Dean was a Green Eye. He guessed maybe it was possible - even though he didn't want to think about it.

"But I'm sure he's fine," Sam said, probably noticing the look on his face. He smiled. "He can just smoke away, right?"

Castiel nodded slowly. "I suppose."

Then Marcus randomly teleported back into the room, looking somewhat furious. There was blood on his hands. Castiel stared while Sam gasped next to him.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked, stepping toward him as though to help, his gaze searching for the injury, but there didn't seem to be one to find.

"Not mine," Marcus muttered.

"Then…?"

Castiel felt his stomach drop as Marcus looked at him.

"Bobby shot Dean."

* * *

Dun Dunnn DUNNNNNNN! lol ;) Sooooo...yeah...lol. Good, bad? Haha let me know, please! Thank you all again for your reviews, and please continue to leave them! I'm tired right now...and praying we don't have school tomorrow...so yeah, haha...thanks again!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	17. Chapter 17

Sorry for the delay! For those that haven't heard, my computer chip decided to go and rest in peace RIP on me, and it held like all my memory for stories and info and everything. This story was on there. So was Reverberating Footsteps :( Hopefully they can fix my chip and recover stuff from it, but otherwise, I'm pretty much screwed because I had most of my stories on there. What a horrible weekend!

I don't really know about this chapter. I've been sick all weekend and so I know it's probably pretty horrible. I know. ::faceplants:: Sorry! It's not like I meant for this chapter to suck or anything, I just think it does, haha.

Anywho...again, sorry for the wait. I really need to update Reverberating Footsteps but like I said...computer chip...ugh and the stupid clicker on my laptop. The touchpad still works but I can't left click anything with the clicker. Ugh. I didn't do it! haha, jk. I totally did :D

Yeah, I'm rambling, soooo...

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Seventeen

Dean, as a rule, didn't complain often. He hated it when other people complained to him, so he definitely wasn't going to do it back, but damn it, this _hurt_. Bleeding out certainly wasn't fun. What the hell kind of artery had Bobby _hit_? Dark spots were dancing through his vision as Bobby levitated him toward the house, where the others were no doubt waiting. By the Eyes, this was going to be so embarrassing. He didn't like being the center of attention, after all. He hated it, and he especially didn't like it when he was the center due to some injury. He didn't need their help - he was fine on his own, right? Always had been…but apparently things had changed. He could remember the light touch of Castiel's lips against his and knew that his days of being alone were pretty much over. Whether or not he was sad about that, he didn't quite know. Then again, he couldn't necessarily think straight at the moment, not with the blood loss. Sheesh, how much blood could his arm possibly _have_?

The sky passed by overhead in diminishing shades of gray and blue, a swirl of clouds here and there, signaling that it was probably getting ready to rain, what with how dark they were. Either that or his vision was just fading, he wasn't sure which yet. Sighing, he closed his eyes.

And abruptly opened them when the door to the house was thrown open. How long had he had his eyes closed? Frowning, he blinked at the swirling masses of people who began to hover over him like globs of insanity themselves. Swallowing, his mouth felt overly dry, like his inner fire had decided to have a vendetta against his tongue.

"What the hell did you do?" Sam snapped angrily. His voice was loud and clear, which made Dean flinch because his head was already pounding.

"He would have been fine if he hadn't moved," Bobby grumbled.

_Yeah sure, because my first freaking instinct when someone is aiming a gun at me is to just stand perfectly fucking still. Whatever,_ Dean thought, and he would have scowled but that took too much energy.

"Give me a hand, John," Marcus said sharply, snapping into his commander mode. Dean nearly chuckled at the thought, picturing Marcus in a tight-fitting, spandex uniform. His laughter bubbled out nevertheless, which most likely startled everyone in the room, but he couldn't help it. His mind was all loopy from the blood loss. "Green Eye, you're freaking me out."

"G-Good, my p-plan's working…then," Dean muttered, sighing as he closed his eyes.

"Keep awake," Marcus ordered.

Dean frowned at him, forcing his heavy eyelids open. "You're…bossy," he declared.

"Dean?" That voice was softer, more hesitant and welcome. Dean rolled his head toward the sound, smiling faintly when he saw Castiel watching him worriedly.

"Hey…Blue Eye," he murmured, wincing.

He felt Marcus and John pour some evil liquid onto his arm, causing it to ache horribly. He bit down on his lower lip to keep from making a sound, because, as he'd said, he wasn't a whiner. He didn't like to complain. Besides, maybe, a part of him whispered, he deserved this pain…He deserved to have this happen to him…

After all, he'd kissed a Blue Eye! That wasn't right. He was a Green Eye, the lowest of the low, and Castiel was a Blue Eye, the highest of the high. Royalty. The two worlds were never supposed to cross, and especially not like that. What was worse? He'd actually _liked_ it. Hell yeah, he had. The kiss had been great and a part of him had been wanting it for a long time, even though he knew it was wrong. First off all, guys didn't feel like that about other guys. Second of all, hello! Blue Eye! Blue Eyes didn't get with Green Eyes. No, no, no, that was all wrong.

So, yeah, maybe he deserved this.

"What the hell did you hit?" John growled at Bobby. "His arm's like a faucet of blood!"

"I wouldn't have hit anything vital if he hadn't moved," Bobby said in a grumble.

"N-Not…standing still to…get shot," Dean said helpfully. "You're…crazy."

"Why'd you even have to pull a gun anyway?" Sam asked, and Dean could almost feel the heat of his glare, as he'd been subject to it many times before.

"He's a Green Eye!" Bobby said as though it all should have been completely obvious. This conversation was really only making Dean want to sink further into the cushions….wait, cushions? He blinked. Yep, he was on a couch. Great. He was going to stain it with his blood and perhaps even die on it, and the couch would be ruined.

Like that was just what he needed.

Sometimes being a Green Eye really just _sucked out loud_.

"Shut up," Marcus finally snapped at everyone. "No more arguing - we can do that later. Sam, go find some more bandages."

Dean frowned, wondering. Had Bobby noticed that Sam was a Hazel Eye? Did he care, or was it just Green Eyes he personally disliked? Figures.

He nearly jerked in surprise when Castiel's hand closed around his own. He would have had it not been for the numbing sensation smoothing over him, laying his muscles to rest.

"John, hold this flashlight and keep it fucking still. I'm going to dig the bullet out," Marcus said.

_Oh shit…this is gonna hurt,_ Dean though, squeezing his eyes tightly closed. _And holy hell, a freaking wound to the __**arm**__ is what's taking me down? After all that horrible violet knife did and __**this**__ is what happens? I'm pathetic. Wow._

He felt it as scissors entered him, moving quickly through his skin, nudging the bullet. He felt the scissors grind against the bullet, which made him wince as pain shot through him like a cannon. Unconsciously, his hand tightened marginally around Castiel's. Hopefully no one was watching, because this was bad, but then again, he couldn't really think to care about it at the moment, now with the pain sparking through him and the way his mind was so fogged.

_Wonder if they would mind if I just took a little nap? Get away from this for a while? Hmm…_ he wondered, trying to keep perfectly still as Marcus and John worked.

How was this bullet able to do this to him? It was just his freaking arm! But obviously something important had been hit. He could still feel blood quickly oozing out, dripping down his arm and onto the cushions. Bobby was going to be pissed at him for messing up his house. In the distance, he thought he heard a dog whining, and then remembered that, yes, Bobby did own a dog. What was its name again? Hmm…That wasn't important right now, though.

He gritted his teeth as Marcus clamped onto the bullet and began to tug it free from the wound. He used his free hand to claw at the couch so he wouldn't squeeze Castiel's hand off for the time being. That definitely wouldn't be looked upon very kindly, he knew.

"There we go," Marcus said. "Bullet's out. Sam, bandages."

Dean watched as Sam handed over the bandages, his expression somewhat neutral and pale. Dean was sure he himself didn't look much better. John wiped at the wound with a wet rag - ow! What the hell was he using, a stone rag? - and Marcus began wrapping his arm. Wincing, Dean turned his gaze toward the ceiling, not wanting to watch as Marcus tied the knot.

"Alright." Marcus stood next to him. "Bobby, get him back to the room Castiel's been staying in. Put him on the bed."

Dean could practically feel Bobby's glare. "This is my house, boy - you don't get to order me around!"

"Please," Castiel said politely.

There was a long pause. Dean closed his eyes, trying to block everyone out, because if there was going to be a fight, he certainly didn't want to be a part of it. He already felt crappy.

Finally, Bobby gave into a long, drawn-out sigh and Dean felt himself being levitated, lifted non-too gently into the air. He could tell the Brown Eye was annoyed, and he wished the others would stop making such a big deal out of this. He could walk, after all. And he was also perfectly comfortable on the couch.

He felt himself being maneuvered into the room. The sheets of the bed were cool and comforting against him as he blinked his eyes open. Bobby gruffly left the room and for a moment, there was blessed silence.

And Dean drifted off.

* * *

Castiel's hand tingled somewhat from where he'd been holding onto Dean's, as though some of his residual warmth had flowed through him unconsciously. Anxiously, he tapped his hand against his leg as he sat on the floor next to the couch, the cushions stained a dirty brown color with Dean's blood. Sam was currently pacing, looking somewhat worried and annoyed all at once, which he pulled off marvelously as that was not an easy feat to come by. John was leaning against the wall in the doorway, his eyes narrowed as though he were deep in thought. Marcus was just sitting quietly in a chair next to the couch, which was where he'd been when he'd been working on Dean. The bullet lay forgotten on the ground in a small pool of blood, discarded bandages strewn around it.

Bobby re-entered the room, looking gruff, confused, and rather annoyed. "Okay," he said evening, pinching at his nose with his thumb and index finger as he stalked further into the room. "Just what the hell is going on? Why do I have a Green Eye and a Hazel Eye staying under my roof? You all seem to know each other but obviously I'm just not hearing about this. What the hell is that Green Eye doing out of the Abyss?"

Marcus narrowed his eyes but said nothing. Now that his job of helping Dean was finished, he seemed content to just sit there in his brooding silence. Castiel shifted uneasily while Sam just looked away, his jaw clenched, probably because Bobby sounded upset that he had a Hazel Eye and a Green Eye staying under his roof. John glared at Bobby.

"Don't talk about my son like that," John snapped. "Sam's a good kid."

Bobby's gaze slithered toward Sam. "The Hazel Eye?"

"Sam," John corrected. "Look, okay, like we said before, we're not here to cause problems. We just needed a place to stay for a while."

"Why am I just now finding out about Sam and Dean?" Bobby questioned, frowning.

"Dean because sort of like a smoke shield over Sam," Marcus said with a shrug, speaking up. "We weren't sure how you'd react so we just kept them a secret. They've been staying in Castiel's room."

Bobby frowned and looked at Castiel. "Is that why you've been asking for more food?"

Shyly, Castiel nodded, averting his gaze to the ground. A part of him wanted to speak up on Dean and Sam's behalf, but another part of him itched to get to Dean, to make sure for himself that he was okay. He'd lost a lot of blood, after all, and sure, that was draining and it was likely Dean would sleep for a while, but still. He felt the urge to be there all the same, and thus that left him feeling rather torn. So he decided to just stay quiet for the time being.

"Why do you guys need to stay here anyway?" the Brown Eye asked, looking somewhat confused. At his side stood his dog, which Castiel had learned was named Manic due to its hyper personality. Manic was currently sitting next to Bobby, his tongue hanging out of his mouth happily, his tail swishing back and forth with a joyful rhythm.

Marcus and John shared looks and then the Topaz Eye glared at Bobby. "I don't believe that's any of your business. We'll get out of your hair as soon as we can, as soon as Dean's healed a little so that he can do his smoke thing easily enough."

"Oh, it _is_ my business!" Bobby snapped. "What if you guys are fugitives or something? I could be harboring criminals for all I know!"

"Do we honestly _look_ like criminals?" Castiel asked slowly, quietly, bringing his gaze up to meet Bobby's momentarily.

Sam shook his head. "Look, we're not here to cause you problems or anything. We just needed a place to stay for a while, that's all. And we're very thankful that you let us stay here so long, Bobby. You're a great host. We'll be leaving soon enough."

Marcus nodded, still glaring. "And then you won't ever have to see us again, Brown Eye."

"Why are you here?" Bobby asked. "Why is the Green Eye out of the Abyss? Damn it, I want some answers! You're staying under _my_ roof and I deserve to know!"

"Dean helped me in the Abyss," Castiel said, causing everyone to glance at him. "The other Green Eyes didn't take too kindly to him helping me and thus he fled with me. There's nothing bad behind his reasons to flee, honest. He was just helping me."

"And they came to my place," Sam said, nodding in agreement with what Castiel was saying. "We were…um…attacked by a couple of Blue Eyes a while ago and we got away, so we've just been…moving. We just needed a place to stay for a while, to rest, that's all."

"Blue Eyes?" Bobby frowned. "That those morons who live out in the woods? They have that big compound or whatever." He shook his head.

Marcus and John shared nervous looks, as though afraid Bobby was going to somehow recognize where they were from and send them back. Castiel had to admit that the thought was on his own mind as well, and he was forced to sit on his hands so he didn't keep tapping at his legs in a nervous giveaway.

"I heard their starting to try something," Bobby said, watching them all as though searching for something. "Any idea what?"

"No," Marcus said, shaking his head.

"Oh, don't lie to me, boy," Bobby growled, narrowing his eyes. "I know you're lying to me. Those are the Blue Eyes who got you, right? Why would they come after you if you were doing right by the Eyes? Morons they may be, but they don't strike me as the type to just go attacking all random."

"We did nothing wrong," Sam snapped. "They came to my place and attacked for no reason! Then they took us to that…stupid compound or whatever you want to call it."

"It was unpleasant," Castiel added helpfully.

"Very," Marcus agreed, a somewhat dark look in his eyes. Castiel remembered what Dean had said about him.

"We got away," Sam said quietly, looking at the ground. "And we made it to here. That's all. We're not…bad or anything, really. We're just trying to get away."

Bobby sighed and rubbed at his temples. "You Eyes are gonna be the death of me," he murmured, closing his eyes for a brief moment. He opened them again a moment later and shrugged. "Alright. I guess you guys can stay here a little longer, but I don't want to be involved in any way with whatever it is you guys are running from. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," Sam said instantly, nodding rapidly, starting to smile at him. "Thank you."

"Don't think me. It feels weird, having you Eyes in my house, and I don't much care for it," Bobby grumbled. "But since I shot your friend, I figure it's the least I can do for now. So, yeah, you can stay. But you're going to have to start pitching in around here."

"Pitching in?" Castiel echoed, frowning in confusion. What did Bobby mean by that?

"How so?" John asked.

"I'm not doing all the damn cooking, laundry, and dishes for you yahoos," Bobby told them. "I'm not room service or house-keeping. You want something, you get it for yourself. And if you stay for a while, one of you is going to go get groceries for me, or whatever I need. Clean the house once in a while, take Manic out, do whatever, but you're gonna have to start pitching in somewhat."

John nodded slowly. "I think we can live with that," he said.

Marcus pursed his lips, clearly unhappy as he sent his disapproving gaze toward Bobby, but he nodded nevertheless.

"Alright, good. Idjits." Bobby shook his head and walked away, disappearing from the room. The room was filled in an uneasy silence for a long moment, and Castiel felt the urge to start tapping his legs again, but he continued sitting on his hands, staring down at the ground. He still itched to get back to Dean, felt it like a burning need and desire within him he hadn't quite experienced before, and so finally, he got to his feet.

"I'm tired," he declared slowly, and waited for John to nod at him before he left the room and moved down the hallway, toward the room he, Dean, and Sam had been sharing for days now.

He entered the room and sighed when he saw Dean on the bed, clearly sleeping, his arm wrapped and bandaged nicely. He looked better than he had before but there was still blood covering him, dried and somewhat cracked and brown, and Castiel had to admit that he didn't like seeing it on his friend, not one bit. He wanted to wash it away but didn't have any way in the room at the moment and he didn't feel like leaving after he'd just arrived back in the room.

Besides, wouldn't cleaning the blood away be a little strange? He felt his face begin to flush. He'd already _kissed_ the Green Eye, after all, now he was wanting to do a strange equivalent of a sponge bath? By the Eyes, he was screwed up.

Sighing heavily, he sat down on the bed next to Dean and lightly rested his hand on Dean's forehead, wanting to somehow offer him the same warmth and reassurance that the Green Eye offered him.

* * *

Dean woke the next day feeling exhausted and thirsty. Before he fully knew what was happening, he felt a cool glass pressed against his lips. He tried to suck at it but it moved back a little, causing him to hitch his good arm under him and force himself into an awkward sitting position. Finally he was able to sip at the liquid present in the glass, cool and refreshing. As his eyes adjusted, he saw that it was Castiel who was holding the glass for him, a worried crease in his brow, his blue eyes dark with concern.

"Thanks," Dean murmured, laying back down as he stared up at the ceiling, frowning. Bobby had shot him. It had actually happened. Why hadn't the Brown Eye killed him, then? It didn't quite make any sense, if he was pressed to admit it to himself. Bobby had certainly pulled the gun and aimed it at him, so why hadn't he gone in for the kill when he'd had the chance? But then again, Dean wasn't going to dwell on it. Swallowing, he glanced at Castiel, who was no longer holding the glass of water but was staring down at the ground. "Cas, what's wrong?"

"How are you feeling?" Castiel asked after he shook his head, as though shaking off some thoughts or something.

Dean paused and actually thought about it for a moment. "Sore," he finally settled on. "A little tired, but otherwise pretty good. Can't believe a simple arm shot almost freaking took me out." He shook his head and sighed heavily. _How pathetic of me,_ he thought, grimacing inwardly.

"It hit an artery," Castiel reminded him. "It wasn't like there was anything you could have done about it."

"I guess." He rolled his head toward Castiel, frowning at him. "Cas…earlier…why…why did you, um…kiss me?" Broaching this topic was something he'd rather leave untouched, but he figured it was now or never and Castiel was behaving a little oddly, as though he were expecting Dean to explode on him or something, which Dean simply wasn't going to do. He was just curious, that was all.

_And I'm so completely screwed because I actually liked it…_ he sighed through his mind.

Castiel shifted uneasily, nervously, and bit down hard on his lower lip, his eyes darting around. "Um…"

"I won't get mad, if that's what you're worried about," Dean assured him.

"Well, I, uh…" Castiel shook his head slowly. "I just…I don't know, Dean, it just…felt right? I guess. At the time…"

Dean nodded slowly - he could see that, he guessed. "Oh. Okay." So it was just a heat of the moment kind of thing, then.

"Why?" Castiel looked at him, frowning. "Why did you run right after?"

Now it was Dean's turn to shift so uneasily, uncomfortably as he averted his gaze away from the intense blue eyes. "I just…I, uh…" He swallowed thickly. "I don't know, Cas…I guess I just….I don't know."

"Dean."

Obviously Castiel knew when he was bluffing. Just great.

Dean swallowed again and sighed. "Okay! I just…I kind of…liked it."

"You…did?" Castiel sounded somewhat surprised.

"I…um…guess."

Castiel paused momentarily and then nodded. "I…did too."

Dean blinked at him. "Really?"

"Yes…I…would like to do it again, if that's okay."

Dean felt a smirk form goofily on his face. "Why, Cas, are you asking for permission to kiss me?"

Castiel looked cut when his face was all red like that. It made his deep blue eyes stick out all the more. "Yes. May I?"

"You may," Dean said with a nod, moving to sit up again.

Their lips met in a light touch, neither of them quite certain of what to do, but knowing what they wanted. Dean knew that he liked this, that he did enjoy the feel of Castiel's lips against his, and he figured Castiel felt the same with the way the Blue Eye was grabbing at him like he was, his hands fisting in his shirt as though to tug him closer.

He was so screwed because he liked this, but he didn't care at the moment.

Because kissing Castiel was like being in a better life.

* * *

Kissing Dean was wonderful, Castiel had to admit. Even better than the first time because Dean was a willing participant and not just someone shocked into silence like before. Castiel chanced deepening the kiss and was rewarded by the Green Eye's tongue sliding across his lips, seeking entrance. He could do this forever, he decided, and never grow tired of it. Maybe it was because of the sensation, the feel of someone's mouth in and on his, but mostly it was because this was _Dean_.

And Dean seemed to be the only that was able to make him feel this way.

And then the door to the room was thrown open, causing the two of them to jerk apart, startled, as they glanced toward the door to see Sam standing there with wide eyes.

"They've found us," Sam rasped shakily, looking panicked. "The Blue Eyes - they've found us!"

And just like that, Castiel's good mood and pleasant life crashed to the ground as he felt Dean stiffen next to him.

* * *

Ugh I know I made a big deal out of Dean's arm, haha. But people can die from that! Haha I think? Pretty sure? Hmm. If it hits in the right place anyway. But yeah, sorry, haha. Anywho :) Hope you liked the fluff and kiss! Thanks for reading and please continue to review!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	18. Chapter 18

O.o This chapter turned out way more filled with fluff than I had originally intended, haha, but I'm guessing you don't care? lol I guess that's just what mood I'm in at the moment :) My chip is still dead...and so updates may be a little slower in coming as I try to regain all the info for this story again (such as what the Eyes are, what abilities they have, etc.) but yeah. I'm not quite sure how long to make this story...Maybe twenty chapters? Twenty-five? lol let me know?

Anyway :) Not that much happens in this chapter, I'm sorry to say. I'm just mostly procrastinating right now 'cuase I don't have my info for the story...I was originally going to do a battle-like scene in this chapter but yeah, haha, that obviously fizzled. It's more full of fluff now and some good Dean/Cas stuff :) So enjoy.

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Eighteen

Castiel stared at Sam, who was breathing heavily, his expression somewhat panicked as he stood there, staring at them. His words were heavy as they filtered through the room. Dean sighed and stood. "We knew they would find us eventually," he muttered, running his fingers through his hair as he paced. "Where are they? In the house?" Castiel winced at his words, because if they were already in the house, then there was really no escape for them.

Sam rapidly shook his head. "No - Marcus was doing a perimeter check and he spotted them about a half a mile away. They're coming this way and they look determined, so…they obviously know…" He swallowed thickly, looking like a lost kid. "What do we do?"

"I don't know," Dean said, frowning. "Why are you looking at me?"

"C'mon! You know! Do we run or stay?"

"Did Marcus say they were just Blue Eyes?" Dean questioned.

Sam nodded quickly. "Yeah."

"Then…I guess we can try to run…but, Sam, where can we go? I'd have to smoke you and myself in the city and…" Dean hesitated, clearly not liking that he had to admit to any sort of weakness. "I'm tired. I don't know if I can do that just yet."

Sam swallowed. "We'll think of something, but we really need to get the hell out of here."

"What about Bobby?" Castiel asked, frowning. "Won't he be in danger if we leave and the Blue Eyes show up looking for us? They can scan his mind and see that we were here - they may hurt him."

Dean bit down on his lower lip. "Oh yeah…I wasn't thinking about that. Shit. Well, we can't just take him with us - this is his home and we've disrupted it enough as it is!"

"Why don't we ask him?" Sam suggested easily, looking somewhat hesitant. "I mean, it should be his choice, right? Whether or not to stay or come with us?"

"Do we have that kind of time?" Dean asked, moving past Sam and out of the room. Castiel quickly followed after him, leaving Sam to take up the rear as the three of them strode through the hallway and emerged into the living room, where Marcus and John were talking amongst themselves in low whispers. Bobby's dog, Manic, was sitting on the ground next to them, watching them with his ears perked up. "Marcus, how much time do we have?"

Marcus's gaze swept toward them. "About twenty minutes, if that much."

Dean nodded. "Where's Bobby?"

"Kitchen," John answered.

Dean disappeared into the kitchen and emerged a moment later with Bobby, who was scowling at him. John and Marcus watched as Dean led Bobby to a chair in the room, next to the couch. "Okay," Dean murmured. "Things are about to get a little hectic and we need you to make a very serious choice."

"What the hell are you talking about, you idjit?" Bobby asked, frowning at him. His gaze moved around the room, from Dean to Marcus to John and then back to Dean.

Dean glanced at Marcus as though unsure as to how to continue. Castiel could see that he was tired and probably still needed to rest for a while - after all, he'd been shot yesterday and had bled a lot - and so he moved a little closer to the Green Eye in case he needed help.

"Blue Eyes are coming," Marcus said, snapping his gaze toward Bobby. "Yes, you were right about that compound. There, they tortured us, hated us, tried to convert us to something they want. We resisted and managed to escape and made it here. Now they're coming after us. You have a choice to make here, Brown Eye. You can either come with us while we try to run again, or you can stay here. But I warn you, these are no ordinary Blue Eyes." His eyes flashed momentarily, revealing a small peek at an underlying darkness. "If they find you, they won't be kind about questioning you. And they have this knife, you see, and it's…well, it's not fatal. But it'll make you wish you were dead." His gaze slid toward Dean, who was glaring at the ground, his face somewhat pale.

Castiel rested a hand warmly on his shoulder, causing Dean to lean toward him slightly, probably an unconscious movement. It made Castiel feel somewhat warm inside to know that Dean at least trusted him enough to lean toward him when he wasn't feeling his best, when he was fearful of something. Castiel himself had never been up against that blade before, but he could guess at how horrible it was. He was fairly certain there weren't many things in this world that could make Dean behave like this every time the item in question was mentioned. Every time someone brought up the knife, it was like Dean felt sick to his stomach.

Bobby blinked at Marcus. For a long moment, no one said a word. A heavy silence coated them like a thick blanket, making Castiel's skin itch in anticipation of what was going to happen next. Then Bobby narrowed his eyes. "I'm not just going to be uprooted from my home by you people!" Then his gaze softened as he took in a deep breath. "I get that you're just looking out for me, Topaz Eye, and I do respect that. Honest I do. But this is my home and no matter what, I'm not leaving it. I'll take my chances with the Blue Eyes. Besides, if they're after you, they may just check the place, see if I know where you're going, and then be on their merry way. So…just don't tell me where you're going and we can all get on with our lives."

Dean frowned. "Are you sure?"

Bobby narrowed his eyes. "Yes, Green Eye, I'm sure."

"Alright, then it's settled," Marcus said, taking over the conversation. "We need to be going, and fast. Come on." He moved toward the front door. Dean hesitated, looking back at Bobby, before he sighed and followed after Marcus. Castiel moved in behind him and Sam and John brought up the rear of the group as they filtered out of the house, moving toward the city.

Castiel couldn't help but wonder at how this was going to turn out, because Dean was obviously still sore and tired, so how was he going to be able to smoke himself and become a shield for Sam at the same time? Where were they going to stay in the city?

He hoped things would turn out for the best, but things seemed to be taking an ominously dark turn and he didn't quite know what to do or how to handle it.

Things had been going well…Dean had gotten shot but he and Castiel had gotten to actually kiss, for real this time…it had been getting a little heated, and then Sam had come in…and now everything seemed to be going downhill.

* * *

The city was bright. That was Marcus's first impression of it. It had been a long while since he'd been in a city. The last time he'd been in one had been right after he'd been turned into a White Eye and had chosen to become a Topaz Eye by disguise. Technically speaking he wasn't a Topaz Eye, but a White Eye, and could change Eyes whenever he pleased, except he wouldn't be as talented with the other Eyes as he was at being a Topaz Eye. It was his primary Eye, after all. Sometimes, thinking about it just gave Marcus a headache, and the bright lights of the city weren't helping any.

The sky was dark, signaling that a storm would soon be coming. The clouds were heavy and gray with rain, a dreary overcast encasing the city, as though an ominous foretelling of future events to unfold, which left him nearly shuddering as he thought about it. He could feel Dean's heat-like energy thrumming next to him, where Sam was obviously walking, being shielded by the Green Eye. The sooner they stopped the better, he knew, but he wanted to keep going as far as they could. The further into the city they were, the harder it would be for the Blue Eyes to track them.

"How much further?" John asked gruffly, clearly not liking the fact that two members of their group had to hide. It was also possible that Dean's abilities could flicker out at any moment, leaving him and Sam completely in the open, which definitely wouldn't be good. Unless…

"I have an idea," he said suddenly, nearly grinning at the thought. Why hadn't he thought of it sooner? It was getting chilly outside, so it would probably be a pretty good cover.

"What?" Castiel asked, blinking at him in confusion.

He darted across the street, toward a small store. Marcus had only a little bit of money from what he'd been able to salvage right before he and the others had escaped the compound, but hopefully things would be a little cheap. Plus he still had some money from when him and Bobby had gone to the store.

He grabbed two of what he needed, paid the clerk, and quickly exited the store with his items in hand, draped over his arms. He led the others to a closed off, somewhat hidden alley. "Okay, Dean, stop smoking for now."

Dean materialized instantly and staggered, collapsing as his legs refused to hold him up. Luckily the Blue Eye was there to grab his arm and keep him standing, leaning him against him worriedly. It didn't take a genius to see that there was something between those two.

"You all right, Green Eye?" Marcus asked slowly.

"Mm," Dean grunted. "What's this brilliant plan you have?"

"Here." He threw one of the items at him and the other at Sam. "Put them on."

"A hood?" Dean frowned. "Your style is horrible. This is fashion statement of horror."

"What do you care?" Marcus asked. "At least you won't have to keep smoking. The hoods will help hide your eyes, so just keep your gaze downcast or something. And it's getting a little chilly out so it fits perfectly. People will just think you're getting ready for the upcoming storm." He gestured upward at the darkening clouds.

Dean nodded. "Alright, fine." He slipped the hood on and Marcus noticed that Castiel didn't release his hold on the Green Eye's arm, just moved it enough so that Dean could put the hood on easily enough.

Sam slipped his hood on as well. That would work for now, Marcus decided, while it was getting darker outside. They wouldn't let anyone close enough to be able to discern exactly what eye color anyone had.

"Alright, let's go," he said, and left the alley as he started walking again. They still needed to make good time, after all.

The others followed after him.

* * *

Dean liked that he could walk through town without having to smoke himself or someone else, like he was almost free to be here, even though he was a dreaded Green Eye. It almost felt like maybe he belonged in society, which was definitely a new feeling for him. Castiel walked close by him, and though he didn't really care to admit it, he liked that fact. Castiel was warm and reassuring, welcoming and a pretty good kisser, if Dean was pressed to admit it. Having the Blue Eye at his side sure made him feel a lot better than if were to be alone in this city. Who would have ever thought that he would have ever felt this way about a Blue Eye, an enemy to the Green Eye world? Dean shook the thoughts out of his head as Castiel opened the door to their hotel room.

John had some money, stashed with him from when he'd gone to town to get things for Sam before they had all been captured, and thus had enough money for two hotel rooms. One room was granted two beds and the second room only one - it was cheaper that way. Dean didn't really mind. He was exhausted and sore and he just wanted to sleep and settle down for the night. It was only around six in the after noon but already dark outside due to the storm. They'd had to finally stop due to the harsh, pelting rain and lightning striking overheard, tearing through the sky like that knife had torn through him.

The thought made him shiver. And then he jerked in surprised when Castiel's arm came around him slowly, gently, and he turned his gaze toward the Blue Eye. "You looked cold," Castiel said, shifting his gaze away and toward the ground, his cheeks flushing that adorable red color again. Dean grinned in gratitude.

"Thanks, Blue Eye."

"Castiel."

Dean shrugged. "I like Cas better."

Castiel sighed and shook his head. "You're impossible," he said fondly, which definitely made Dean's smile grow wider.

"I try." He sat on the bed, rubbing tenderly at his head, which was throbbing. He'd done too much smoking today, too much too soon, and his body was clearly protesting against it. He figured, just to be safe, that he shouldn't be smoking much for a while, just in case.

"You okay?" Castiel sat down next to him, concerned blue eyes glued to him like a magnet.

Dean nodded, smiling faintly at him, feeling a flare of affection in his chest even though he wasn't sure why. He'd never really felt like this before, about anyone…except maybe his best friend. But that was different - that was friend affection and this…this was…He wasn't exactly sure what this was, but it seemed so much stronger, and it filled him with a never-ending warmth that had nothing to do with his power over fire. "I'm fine, just tired. Too much smoking today." Normally he wouldn't have told anyone this, but being close to Castiel made him have the sudden urge to tell the Blue Eye everything.

He and Castiel had gotten this room, the one with one bed, while the others had gotten the other room, which was located a few doors down. Sam had grinned strangely when he'd suggested that Dean and Castiel take this room. What the Hazel Eye was planning, Dean didn't know. He wasn't so sure he _wanted_ to know.

It wasn't like he was complaining, though. Honestly he'd rather room with Castiel than any of the others.

He wasn't sure how long they'd have until the Blue Eyes caught up to them. Honestly he wasn't looking forward to it - he didn't want to see those Blue Eyes again for the rest of his life, but as it was, that didn't necessarily seem like a possibility. He didn't want to be anywhere near that horrible violet knife, but somehow, something inside of him whispered that it was probably in his near future. He shuddered involuntarily at the thought and Castiel grabbed his arm warmly, causing him to turn tired eyes on the Blue Eye.

"What's wrong?" Castiel asked softly, quietly. That was what Dean liked about him - he was never demanding, just quiet and soft, reassuring, allowing him to have a choice in answering while everyone else just seemed to demand it of him.

Dean shrugged slowly. "Just…thinking, I guess. Of stuff."

"Like what?" Castiel asked, frowning slightly.

Dean bit down on his lower lip. He really didn't want to say and have Castiel think he was weak or something, but suddenly he found that he couldn't just _not_ say it, simply because this was Castiel…the Blue Eye he had enjoyed kissing, and he wanted to actually tell him everything he could. So he sighed heavily and glared at the ground. "The knife. I was thinking about that knife."

Castiel's lips pursed. "The violet one."

"Yeah. That one. I was just…I don't like it. At all. And I know it's stupid but I'm…afraid of it."

There - he'd said it. There was no going back now.

"That's not stupid," Castiel assured him softly, tightening his hold on his arm. "They…tortured you with it, Dean, of course you're going to be fearful of it. I don't blame you, if that's what you're worried about. It's not your fault."

Dean released a slow, pent-up breath. "Thanks, Cas."

Castiel sighed. "No problem. Hopefully the Blue Eyes won't ever catch up to us…or whatever they are, anyway. What'd Marcus call them? White Eyes?"

Dean nodded slowly. "Yeah…a clean slate." He shook his head, sighing. "I don't fully understand it, but…I guess it's possible? I don't know how but if Marcus says he was a Green Eye…and Michael was pretty damn powerful, even for a Blue Eye."

Castiel nodded in agreement. "Yeah."

Dean slid his gaze toward Castiel, watching him. "Have you remembered anything more about what happened to you, how you wound up in the Abyss?"

Castiel bit down on his lower lip. "No," he said, looking away. "Sorry, Dean."

"Nothing to be sorry for, Cas. I'm sure you'll remember everything soon enough, right?"

"I guess…" Castiel shifted somewhat uneasily.

"What?"

"I just…I'm not so sure I _want_ to remember. I think…I don't know…I think something really bad happened and my mind is just…blocking it. And my powers, for some reason."

Dean paused momentarily, frowning. "Maybe," he allowed, "but if you never remember, you're going to have these holes in your memory, Cas."

"I guess so." Castiel shook his head. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens."

Dean nodded in agreement - that sounded like a good idea. And it also seemed to be the only option they had…not just with Castiel's memories, but with everything. The Blue Eyes were most likely going to eventually catch up with them, he knew, and while he certainly prayed they didn't, he knew that they would have the knife on hand and ready for action. There didn't quite seem to be a way out of this - they were all just fugitives running from people who weren't what or who they seemed, and escaping them seemed rather futile.

Especially if they did like Marcus said they could and turned into Topaz Eyes on them. Then they were royally fucked to hell and back.

Castiel's fingers had found their way to his back and were gently kneading his tense and sore muscles, causing him to stiffen at first but then easily relax into the Blue Eye. He wasn't sure where this strong affection had really come from, but he did know that he didn't hate it. It was enjoyable and made life seem better, almost worth living, and that was something he hadn't felt for a while now. And he owed it all to Castiel, the Blue Eye he was supposed to hate.

Except his feelings seemed to be the opposite. He liked the Blue Eye, had strong feelings for him.

He wouldn't go so far as to say love - after all, that wasn't in his nature - but it was definitely a strong liking toward Castiel. Plus the Blue Eye had the best fingers in the world and was an excellent massager, even though he'd been keeping that a secret thus far.

He practically melted against Castiel like a newborn kitten. And while a part of him suggested that he was becoming soft and weak, the majority of his mind just collapsed with his affection, allowing him this moment of peace and respite in the company of the person he had grown to become rather fond of.

And he enjoyed the moment, allowing himself to turn toward the Blue Eye, their gazes locking firmly as though the colors were meant to be one, and they tilted their heads toward each other, their lips meeting in that same, gentle light touch as before, both of them still somewhat hesitant in what they were feeling. Realizing that they could all wind up being dead soon - well, at least him and Sam…John, Marcus, and Castiel might stand a chance - he crushed his lips more firmly against the Blue Eye's, needing and craving the contact, the feel of another's heartbeat in his lips. Castiel's arms came around him lightly at first, but then smashed the two of them together in a warm, fond embrace that felt like the greatest blanket Dean had ever known. The Blue Eye warmed him like no fire could, like no one else had ever been able to do.

"Cas," he breathed into the Blue Eye's mouth, even as he felt Castiel's fingers shyly tug at his shirt as though asking for permission, always hesitant and unsure, needing guidance. Dean pulled out of the kiss for a moment, closing his eyes as he rested their foreheads together, taking a moment to breathe properly, before he pulled his shirt off and the two of them reconnected again, as though they belonged that way for all of time.

_I'm so screwed…because I think I might be…falling…no! No. Don't think like that…you just like him. That's all you can do - he's a Blue Eye, Dean, just remember that. A Blue Eye,_ his mind told him sharply.

_Fuck off,_ he said back to it as he deepened the kiss, his tongue rolling around Castiel's lush lips, quietly asking for entrance. The lips parted graciously and he felt a warm tongue meld with his own in a dance of champions.

He'd never felt more alive in his life.

* * *

O.o I don't do, um...fluff? hahahaha. But apparently that's what mood I'm in, so enjoy! Thank you all so much for reading and please, please, please continue to review! They keep me going :) Thanks! Also, the rating of this story may be upgraded to M later on (maybe in this book, maybe not) soooooo be watching for that? haha.

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	19. Chapter 19

Personally I'm not happy with this chapter. I think it could have been so much better. But maybe I'll change it later, I don't know. What do you guys think? It's toward the end that I don't really like, haha. I think it could be better. But oh well, I guess. What's written is written.

Hope you are all enjoying the story so far!

Enjoy! Please continue to review!

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Nineteen

Tongues clashed and bodies touched as things quickly grew heated. Castiel's heart was racing in his chest with a unique mixture of want and need. Never before would he have thought it possible to feel like this, to feel so alive and yet so calm all at once. Castiel chucked his shirt and dropped it onto the ground next to Dean's. He brought a hand up and tangled it in Dean's short hair, feeling the rush of the Green Eye's heart through the connection of their lips. Dean's mouth was warm, wet, and pleasant, and Castiel's tongue roamed every crevice, every dip and nook between his teeth and gums, Dean's tongue dancing against his with something like a unique experience. It was likely Dean had done stuff like this before, kissed other people and been with them in a more than slightly intimate way. Castiel himself, to his knowledge, had never been with someone like that, but then again, he did have memory gaps.

Why then, did he feel a twinge course through him at the thought of being intimate? A shock of fear, tendrils of cold terror and hatred, and he wasn't sure why. Swallowing, he pulled out of the kiss and took a moment to breathe properly, trying to organize his thoughts so they were focused on the hear and now and not just on feelings he didn't quite understand.

"Cas?" Dean asked slowly, watching him with those bright green eyes of his. "Is…something wrong?" His hands slid around Castiel's face warmly, a light touch of affection as they slid around and spiked through his black hair. "Are you okay?"

Castiel hesitated, unsure as to how to say what he was thinking and feeling. He thought maybe it had something to do with his past, maybe one of his forgotten memories, but he couldn't quite remember. And honestly, he wasn't so sure he even wanted to, if it made him that fearful and cold. So he just smiled faintly and shook his head, sighing. "I'm fine…I was just thinking, that's all."

"Of what?" Dean cocked his head to the side cutely, his brows furrowed in question.

"Just…nothing, really. Just wondering what I've forgotten."

"I'm sure you'll get your memory back," Dean said with a smile. "You'll remember eventually."

_"_I'm not sure I want to…"

Dean bit down on his lower lip. "Well…whatever you want to have happen, Cas, I'm sure you'll get it."

Castiel smirked at him. "Thanks, Dean."

"No problem, Blue Eye," Dean said, flashing him a smile.

"…I guess I kind of ruined the mood, huh?" Castiel murmured, averting his gaze as shame gnawed at him. He really shouldn't have been thinking of his memory at a time like this, but he had nevertheless.

Dean pulled him close, their faces nearly touching. Dean's hot, warm breath ghosted across his face. "Now whatever gave you that idea?" With a grin, he leaned forward and the two of them connected again.

Something was still niggling at the back of Castiel's mind, though, and he couldn't for the life of him figure out what it was. He wasn't going to think too much on it right now, though, not with Dean's mouth consuming his, the Green Eye's never-ending heat sliding across his bare chest as their bodies met in a light touch, a bare scraping of skin. Castiel shyly slid his fingers through the belt loops of Dean's pants, tugging him somewhat closer.

As Dean smirked and slipped a hand toward Castiel's own pants, a memory sparked to life behind Castiel's eyes, causing him to gasp and jerk away from Dean all in one motion.

* * *

_Castiel's heart was racing wildly in his chest as he struggled against the figure pinning him down. "Get off!" he growled, struggling, but he couldn't see the person's face, couldn't tell who it was, just that they were strong and he clearly saw blue eyes peering at him through the darkness around them. "GET OFF!"_

_A chuckle sounded in the dark and he froze because he clearly recognized that voice. Why, though? As the darkness around them cleared, he could easily make out the Blue Eye's face._

"_M-Michael?" he gasped, staring, momentarily forgetting about his struggle. "Get off!"_

_In answer, he felt his wrists pressed down at his sides all the more, Michael's knees digging into his arms, keeping them in place. Castiel had never been strong, after all, having mostly been cast aside during his early years to not be trained properly in the ways of his mind even though he wasn't sure why. Thus he wasn't strong enough to shove Michael away, but he struggled nevertheless. Michael's dark hair dipped down into his eyes as he leaned down somewhat, his face close to Castiel's. Castiel turned his face away, glaring, his heart racing in his chest with the rhythm of fear and urgency._

"_Get off," he said again, his voice quieter this time. "Please. You're hurting me."_

_Michael had bony knees, after all, and they were digging into his arms as he squirmed. Michael just smirked and leaned down even more, pressing his lips forcefully against Castiel's, smashing against teeth and pinching lips. Gasping, Castiel struggled to move his head away but one of Michael's hands came up and snagged hold of his hair, fisting in it as he held him in place._

"_Stop," he growled against Michael's lips. A tongue slid across his lips and in surprise, he opened his mouth. As the tongue slid in, he promptly bit down on it with a snarl. "Stop! Get off!"_

_Michael winced and pulled away, glaring down at him with narrowed eyes. "You're mine," he snapped, "and you'd better get used to it. The world is changing, Castiel, and you need to decide if you want to be a part of a better race." He leaned back down._

"_Don't kiss me!" Castiel turned his head away, finally tearing his head free of Michael's hold. "Leave me alone! Get off!"_

_Michael snarled, his eyes flashing sharply. "You're mine," he growled firmly, his hand reaching down toward Castiel's pants to-_

* * *

"Cas!" Dean snapped, shaking Castiel somewhat. The Blue Eye had gone pale, as though somehow lost within himself, and it was really beginning to freak Dean out. "Cas, you okay? Hey?" He tapped the fingers of one hand lightly on Castiel's cheek, trying to bring him out of whatever it was, his gaze locked worriedly on him.

Castiel flinched and abruptly pulled away from him as though pained at his touch, causing him to jerk back in surprise as the quick movement. Frowning, he watched as Castiel looked around the room with wide, fearful eyes, as though he didn't exactly remember where they were.

"Cas?" Dean's worry upped a notch. "Are you okay? What's wrong?" Hesitating, thinking Castiel would pull away from him again, he reached out for the Blue Eye once more, resting his hand gently on his shoulder, allowing his energy to turn into that soothing warmth as though to calm him. "Cas?"

"Dean?" Castiel frowned at him, swallowing thickly. "I'm…sorry. What happened?"

"I was hoping you could tell me," Dean said truthfully. He felt the Blue Eye start to finally relax under his touch, and so he scooted a little closer, pulling Castiel toward him somewhat as he did so. "Are you all right? What were you thinking about?"

"I, uh…" Castiel's cheeks flushed darkly as he lowered his gaze firmly to the ground. "I don't want to talk about it."

Dean frowned. "Bad memory?" he guessed, and the Blue Eye nodded gravely. Sensing the discomfort Castiel obviously felt, Dean slid a little closer and draped his arms around him, holding him close, allowing that soothing energy to flow as it surrounded them in a warm red glow. Castiel stiffened at the contact, but thankfully eased into Dean's warmth quickly enough. He bit down on his lower lip, unused to being in this position where he had to comfort someone, and thus he didn't really know what to say in a situation like this. "I…it's okay, Cas," he promised slowly. "It's okay."

That seemed to be the right choice of words, as Castiel snuggled into him and wrapped his own arms around him in return, holding him close. Dean had to admit that it felt nice to hold someone and be held himself, and he'd never really experienced this greatness before. He'd been a girl before, sure, but it had just been a measly fling, something for fun and a right of passage when he turned seventeen, nothing more. There had been no real emotion behind it, no real intimacy like the two of them shared now in this warm embrace. Being like this with someone, being able to feel like this…it was very different and made him feel better even though he was the one trying to comfort Castiel.

"You don't have to tell me what it was about," Dean told him reassuringly, his face pressed into Castiel's dark hair as he kept the two of them held close. The Blue Eye's body was trembling somewhat, and Dean figured it to be involuntary because he could tell Castiel was trying to stop doing so. Dean let a little more of his soothing heat take over the two of them, the aura of red brightening as it spread around them a little more.

"Thanks," Castiel murmured, his voice a low rumbled as Dean held onto him as he had held no other before in his lifetime.

Dean closed his eyes and nodded, feeling the Blue Eye relax easily against him as the soothing effect began to fully take over. For a long moment, the two of them remained silent as they held each other as though to keep steady, which Dean normally would have thought he'd have been against, but since this was Castiel…it was different. It actually felt nice.

"It…was about Michael," Castiel finally allowed as the two broke the embrace. Castiel released him and Dean dropped his arms to his sides as he frowned at Castiel, trying to comprehend what he was saying.

"Your bad memory?" he asked, just to be sure, even as he felt a burning anger building up within him for Michael. He already had his own reasons to hate the guy, but to think that he'd maybe done something bad to Castiel just made the hatred and anger all the worse.

Castiel nodded slowly, his cheeks darkening in shame as he absently tapped his fingers against his leg, a nervous habit, as Dean had noticed during their time together thus far. That hatred burned through Dean strongly but he forced himself to swallow it down for the moment.

"How bad?"

"…Very. Horrible." Castiel seemingly shuddered at the mere thought of it, and Dean made a silent vow to himself.

_I'm going to kill that fucker,_ he told himself seriously. It wasn't right of Michael to do anything bad to Castiel when the Blue Eye had done nothing wrong, at least not that Dean could see. Castiel actually seemed to be the most un-judgmental of them all, even if he'd originally flinched somewhat when he'd first taken notice of Dean's green eyes. _No one hurts Cas._

Since when had he started to care? But suddenly it was very important to him that he kept the Blue Eye out of danger and out of ways he could potentially be hurt, emotionally or physically. It seemed imperative to him, and while he didn't fully understand the urge to be protective, he couldn't deny it. It was rushing through him like an extension of himself.

"Well…whatever it was that he did," Dean started slowly, waiting until Castiel lifted his eyes and met his gaze before he continued, "I promise I won't let him do it again."

And Dean always kept his promises - always.

At least, he tried to. He didn't break them if he could help it.

Castiel smiled at him faintly in gratitude. "Thank you, Dean."

Dean nodded and yawned, figuring the mood was effectively over for tonight. He pulled back the covers of the bed and crawled under them, lightly nudging at Castiel. "C'mon - let's get some sleep."

Castiel nodded, sighing, and slid under the covers as well to join him in the warmth of the bed.

Dean sighed slowly, lightly, listening to Castiel's breaths next to him as though they were his own personal lullaby.

And he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

They had to keep moving. There wasn't enough time for them to fully stop for long, barely even to stop for the night. Marcus had teleported around the city early that morning and had discovered that the Blue Eyes were searching for them, probing people's minds. Sam wasn't sure what to think about that, but he didn't like it at all. Why were they seemingly so important to the Blue Eyes? What had they ever done to them?

So they all kept moving. The further away from the Blue Eyes they were, the better. And since he and Dean had hoods now, they could walk around town freely if they kept their heads bowed, the shadows of their faces covering the color of their eyes. The only way people could recognize what Eye they were was if they got close, and thus far they had managed not to let that happen.

Where were they going to go, though? If they left the city, the Blue Eyes would be able to find them easier. But if they stayed here, the Blue Eyes would eventually stumble across them. It seemed like a lose-lose situation either way one looked at it, and it was making Sam think that maybe things were just hopeless.

Dean and Castiel seemed a little friendlier, but that was to be expected. He'd figured the two of them had at least been crushing on each other - it was easy to notice in the way Castiel looked at the Green Eye, and how Dean allowed things of Castiel that he wouldn't of anyone else. That was why he'd suggested that they room together. It just seemed easier for everyone that way.

"Where are we going?" he finally asked, speaking up as he glanced at Marcus.

Marcus narrowed his eyes. "I don't really know. We'll have to leave the city and hope we can make it to another one before they catch up to us, I guess."

"Great," Dean grumbled. "We're leaving our lives to chance, then."

"Pretty much," Marcus agreed with a snort. "But it's our only option."

Sam sighed heavily. "How much further until the edge of the city?"

"About ten more minutes, I think," Marcus said. "From looking at those maps, the city's not too large, just big enough to be called a city."

Sam nodded slowly, biting down on his lower lip to keep his worry to himself.

"Marcus, still helping the enemy, I see," a low voice commented from behind them, causing them all to startle and spin around in unison, their eyes wide. Sam swallowed thickly when he saw two Gray Eyes standing there. He hadn't been aware there were Gray Eyes coming after him as well. Both of the Gray Eyes pulled out knives, but while one was a regular one, the other was that violet one.

Both Sam and Dean effectively stiffened and paled at the sight. Sam noticed that Marcus did too, somewhat. What was that about? Had Marcus been tortured by it too?

"You Gray Eyes got nothing better to do than track us down like bloodhounds?" Dean asked, frowning at them.

"You bite your tongue, Green Eye," one of the Gray Eyes snapped, glaring daggers at him.

"But that generally leaves a bloody tongue," Dean retorted. "And that's no fun at all."

"Why you…!" The Gray Eye lunged forward and a massive gust of air smacked into all of them, effectively knocking them back. Well, except Marcus, who quickly teleported away from their proximity and reappeared a few feet back as they all landed on the ground harshly, the concrete sidewalk grating against them.

Wincing, Sam sat up, swallowing thickly. A tornado seemed to form around them, sucking at them, blowing at them, tossing them around. Sam collided with his father as Marcus snarled and teleported out of the way, reappearing directly behind the Gray Eyes, or at least that Sam could see, but the air was really restricting his vision. The tornado of air dropped them harshly onto the ground as one of the Gray Eyes, the one with that violet knife, rounded on Marcus viciously.

"How could you betray us, Marcus?" they spat hatefully. "After all we did for you?"

"Did for me?" Marcus growled back incredulously. "You tortured me! You tortured everyone!"

With a snarl, both Gray Eyes lunged, one at Dean and the others while the other moved toward Marcus. Sam felt himself being shoved to the side by Dean as the Gray Eye swiped the knife viciously at them, clearly out for blood. John growled and waved his hand, sending the Gray Eye flying through the air to crash into the other Gray Eye.

"Run," John snapped, grabbing hold of Sam's arm as he tugged him with him as he started running.

Marcus teleported next to them as they all began running, the Gray Eyes angrily storming after them. A giant gust of wind threw them all into the wall of a building. Sam smacked his head harshly and felt blood running down his face when he looked up to see the Gray Eyes standing over them, knives in hand.

Dean growled and stood angrily. "It's me you fucking want, so just leave them the hell alone," he snapped, glaring at them with dangerously narrowed eyes.

"Dean," Castiel said in a soft warning, standing as well.

"We want you and the Hazel Eye," one of the Gray Eyes said. "And Marcus. He needs to be punished. And you, Blue Eye." They looked at Castiel. "Michael's anxious to see you again."

Sam watched as Castiel quickly paled, looking queasy and sick to his stomach. Dean's expression contorted in hatred and anger. Sparks of flame ignited around his hands. With a shout, the threw orbs of flaming heat at the two Gray Eyes, causing them to counter with gusts of wind. The reaction between the two elements caused a tidal wave of power, able to knock Sam back slightly.

Marcus stood and glared. "Why do you need us, anyway? It's not like you don't have plenty of other Eyes!"

"You disobeyed, Topaz Eye, and that's _bad_," one of the Gray Eyes said, narrowing their eyes at him. "You need to be punished."

"Well don't expect us to go willingly or easily," Dean said with a growl, forcing the Gray Eyes to look at him again.

"Work together, now," Marcus ordered.

John and Sam shared looks. Sam didn't know what to do - as a Hazel Eye, he only had small levitation powers and thus wouldn't be able to lift the Gray Eyes like John. And he wasn't sure he could smoke or anything, so he wasn't really of much help, was he?

John flicked his wrist violently, angrily, and the Gray Eyes lifted into the air. At the same time, Dean blew a wave of fire toward them like a tidal wave inferno. The flames sputtered around the Gray Eyes as they used their air abilities to somewhat disintegrate the flames, but some landed on them and caused them to shout in pain. One of the knives dropped to the ground.

However, it wasn't the violet one, the one that caused the most pain. It was just the regular one.

"Run," John said quickly. "Now!"

Marcus grabbed Sam and Castiel's arms and led them away. Dean stayed behind and Sam heard the flickering of more flames.

And then someone in the growing crowd around them gasped, "It's a Green Eye!"

Like an angry mob, they joined in the fight to take down the dreaded Green Eye.

And Sam's heart dropped because they didn't stand a chance.

* * *

Sooooo yeah. Like I said. Not that good. Sorry. Anyway, please continue to review!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	20. Chapter 20

I am so sorry for taking so long to update! Like a month! Gasp! I had half of this chapter written for like...sheesh forever, but I just never got around to finishing it. This chapter is like way more short than the others, and for that I apologize. I just wanted to go ahead and post _something_ so you didn't think I forgot about this story, haha. Plus, I felt bad for the long cliffhanger, haha. I have decided I'm going to be cutting this story short soon. Maybe 2-5 more chapters, depending. So yep, it's gonna be getting wrapped up soon! Action shall come...if I ever get around to it...lol.

And there will be a Dean and Michael face-off! Teehee.

Anyway, thanks for reading and if you are still reading this story, then please review! I love them!

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Twenty

Dean flinched when he heard the crowd call out "Green Eye!" but there wasn't much he could do as the crowd closed in, causing the Gray Eyes to smirk. Marcus scowled, clearly unhappy with this change of events, and Dean certainly wasn't pleased himself. Sweat broke out across him involuntarily as his heart raced in his chest, adrenaline coursing through him, the ever-present urge not to get _caught_, by either of them, the crowd or the Gray Eyes. Neither option was good. He knew what was waiting for him with the Gray Eyes, but he didn't with the crowd…however, he was sure it was just as painful. No one liked Green Eyes, after all. Swallowing, he felt his fire coursing around him like a semi-protective shield, a staggering brightness of anxious nerves.

Air slammed into him seemingly from all directions. Murmurs asked why he was out of the Abyss while most people just stared. Others attacked, and he felt himself being vaulted through the air as though he were a mere feather, and he smacked harshly into the brick wall behind him. As he slid to the ground, he felt his vision spinning due to the blow to the head. A quick brush of fingers on the back of his head assured him of the blood flow present there. Marcus was at his side immediately via teleportation, and he grabbed hold of Dean's arm.

"You have to get out of here, Green Eye - there's too many of them. Smoke away. Now!" the Topaz Eye snapped, but Dean couldn't do that. He didn't want to get caught, by the Eyes, he didn't…but he couldn't just leave the others behind like that, right? Swallowing thickly, he figured the others could handle themselves. Seeing Gray Eyes attack other seemingly innocent Eyes who weren't Green Eyes or Hazel Eyes wouldn't go by very well with the crowd present here. So he finally nodded and smoked out of there.

The crowd growled in disappointment. Thankfully, Dean didn't see any Blue Eyes among them, so that must have meant the Blue Eyes hadn't caught up to them yet. Good. That meant they might actually have a chance. Sam was keeping his hood up but with how close people were, they were bound to notice him eventually. Dean covered Sam with his own smoky form and the two of them went invisible to the world. "Walk," he hissed at Sam, shocked by the roughness of his voice and by the fact that it actually made a sound while usually, while in this non-physical form, he couldn't necessarily speak for the life of him. He couldn't ponder on the meaning behind this now, though.

Sam walked away swiftly and Dean stayed over him, shielding him. John followed, even though Dean wasn't sure how he knew where they were going, but it was a seemingly straight shot from here anyway. Castiel stayed at John's side, frowning, and a commotion broke up in the crowd due to Dean's disappearance. A moment later, Marcus teleported next to them.

"While the Gray Eyes are busy with the crowd, we need to make a run for it," he said seriously, but then again, when was the guy ever _not_ serious? But he certainly couldn't think about that now, even if his mind _did_ demand a distraction. Quickly, they started running. Dean struggled to keep his form over Sam, but it was definitely proving to be a much more difficult task than he would have expected. The last few times he'd been covering Sam, the Hazel Eye had only been walking. This was proving to be a taxing challenge, as Dean was quickly learning.

Before long, they made it to the edge of the town. Dean could still hear the sound of the crowd behind him as the people became angrier and angrier, upset that the Green Eye had gotten away, no doubt. Dean would have snorted if he could, but he didn't necessarily have any vocals in this smoky form, not unless he was coming out of it or just going into it. That little half-transformation left him with his vocals, but it wasn't like he could just hover there and talk. No, it certainly wasn't that simple. Then again, nothing ever was when one was a Green Eye.

"Where now?" John asked, frowning at the Topaz Eye.

"We have to keep going. Our only hope is staying one step ahead of them," Marcus said evenly, his voice gruff as always. "That they haven't turned into Topaz Eyes yet astonishes me if they want to get us so bad."

"Turn into Topaz Eyes?" John blinked at him. "That's impossible! No one can change Eyes!"

Marcus shook his head. "Now is certainly not the time for that," he snapped. "We have to get the hell out of here, right now!" He sped up.

Dean wanted to help Castiel, who seemed to be having a bit of a problem keeping up. Though his ankle was nice and mostly healed now, he still hobbled at times and he was beginning to lag behind. Thankfully, though, John seemed to notice because he wound up lagging back to grab Castiel's arm and keep him moving forward. Dean mentally told himself to remember to thank the Brown Eye for that later.

Because he actually cared about the Blue Eye, more than he ever would have thought possible. He found himself often imagining about those bright yet dark blue eyes which contradicted all logic. Mentally shaking the thoughts and sensations away for the time being, he focused instead on remaining over Sam.

However, as he continued smoking himself over the Hazel Eye, he couldn't stop himself from thinking back on what had happened with Castiel. Michael had done something to the Blue Eye, something horrible. Dean wanted to know what it was almost as much as he _didn't_ want to know. Either way, he knew he was pissed. He silently vowed to himself that whenever he next saw Michael, he was going to seriously smash his smug Blue Eye face in. With a hammer…with a violet knife attached to it. Yes. That would be some justice…

He nearly laughed just thinking of the possibilities.

Yes, Green Eyes tended to be hotheads who could seriously hold an angry grudge. Point? His mind was racing and it took practically all he had to focus enough to stay in his smoky, invisible form. He felt exhausted, his mind spent, and he just wanted to rest.

Actually…that sounded like an excellent idea…

And suddenly he was smoking back into existence…directly over Sam. It wasn't his fault he crushed the Brown Eye into the ground…honestly he blamed it on Sam's thick yet weak arms and his inability to lift with his back and not his legs…but that was just him.

"Dean?" a familiar, much appreciated voice asked, drawing Dean's attention away from the fact that sleep sounded like the most precious gift in the world. He found Castiel hovering over him worriedly while the others stood around them, frowning down at him. "Are you okay?"

"Mm, peachy, feel my fuzz?" he said in a sluggish way, giggling. His mind felt all light and like it was racing and he honestly couldn't put his thoughts together very well. Suddenly he focused his gaze on Castiel's face and smiled sleepily. "Mm, you're cute…."

"He's lost it," Sam said, shaking his head, smirking faintly. "C'mon, help me get him up. He should rest." He bent down and grabbed one of Dean's arms while Castiel nodded and grabbed Dean's other arm.

"What? No…" Dean mumbled, not understanding what they were doing as he frowned in confusion. "I don't wanna dance…"

"Yeah, he's definitely lost it," Sam said, rolling his eyes.

"Great," Marcus mumbled.

_Well, hello to you too, grumpy,_ Dean thought with a heavy yawn as he leaned into Castiel, feeling the Blue Eye's warmth. It wasn't like that of a Green Eye but it wasn't unwanted. It was comfortable…and right…and he wanted it…

* * *

Castiel didn't mind holding Dean up by himself - a part of him actually preferred it, and he wasn't sure what part of him was kicking in that he felt _jealous_ of the fact that Sam had been holding Dean's arm around his neck. Sam had only been helping, after all. Shaking his head, he waited patiently as Dean leaned heavily against him, mostly asleep, as they waited for someone to answer the door.

He wasn't sure where they were. They had been walking for hours, or at least that was what it felt like. Sam had handed Dean over to Castiel completely nearly twenty minutes ago, claiming he was tired himself and that dragging Dean along wasn't helping…although Castiel had seen the wink-ish look Sam had given him as he handed him over, so he wasn't entirely sure that was the whole story.

The door before them finally swung open to reveal a redheaded young woman, probably no older than Castiel himself. She watched him with Gray Eyes for a moment, before she turned and called inside the house, "Gabe! Are these guys friends of yours?"

Behind her, a guy appeared, frowning at them. He had short yet somewhat shaggy brown hair, darker than Sam's own, and topaz eyes. He blinked at them in confusion before he shook his head. "No, I don't know them." He paused.

The girl shrugged. "Can we help you?" she asked them kindly, but Castiel couldn't help but think that her eyes landed on Dean a little too long for his liking.

_What the heck has gotten into me?_ he thought to himself before he mentally shook his head.

"We just…" John hesitated slightly and shared a look with Marcus. Sam was mostly covered by his hood and he stood slightly behind them. "We were just wondering if maybe you knew of a place we could stay for tonight…we've been traveling all day."

The girl frowned slightly. "Hmm…I think we have a spare room or two here, and you can maybe sleep on the couch…is that okay, Gabe?" she asked, looking at the taller Topaz Eye.

The guy, Gabe, frowned as though in thought before he shrugged. "It's fine with me, I guess, just don't trash the house…" He smirked as though to show that he was only joking before he pushed the door open a little more and gestured for them all to come in. "I'm Gabriel, by the way. That's my little sister Anna."

"Nice to meet you," John said with a gentle smile. "I'm John, that's Marcus, Castiel, Dean, and Sam. We won't cause you any trouble."

Thankfully, even though Dean's hood was down, his eyes were still closed from the way he was mostly asleep, leaning against Castiel. Castiel mentally willed Dean to keep his eyes closed for a little while longer, at least until they made into the solitude of a room or something.

"House rules," Gabriel announced suddenly. "No tearing up the place 'cause that's my job. You find any chocolate anywhere on or near my property, it's officially mine. No hitting on my sister. No thinking about my sister. No taking my alcohol without my knowing. And most of all, no poking people in the eye. Strange rule, I know, but I cannot stress this enough." He looked around with a wide grin. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," Sam said with a smirk, turning a little so that his hood remained covering his face.

"Thank you for letting us stay here," Castiel said, quietly shifting Dean against him a little so that his elbow was no longer digging into his ribs. It was becoming somewhat painful. Dean mumbled something and then went quiet again, barely able to hold himself up, he was so out of it. Castiel was surprised he was even still standing.

"No problem," Gabriel said with a casual, lazy shrug of his shoulders. "Oh, and by the way, when that guy wakes up enough-" he gestured at Dean "-tell him not to worry."

"…What do you mean?" John asked, frowning. Castiel blinked at Gabriel, confused as to what he meant. Did he know Dean somehow, or something?

Gabriel shook his head. "I'm just not prejudice against Green Eyes, that's all."

"…You…know that-" John started.

"That he's a Green Eye?" Gabriel nodded. "Yeah. I caught his eyes half-open a minute ago."

"We don't care, though," Anna put in helpfully, smiling cheerfully at them.

"…Really?" Sam asked cautiously, and Castiel could hear the hesitation in his voice. He felt the same. He wasn't so sure if he trusted these people. If he wasn't such a useless Blue Eye and was able to use his powers properly, then he would have been able to scan their minds and see if they were telling the truth or not. As it was, he was only capable of standing there, helpless as usual.

"Yeah. Anyway, there are two spare rooms down the hall. One of you could also take the couch. I'll let you guys divide it amongst yourselves." He shook his head and nudged Anna slightly. "C'mon, let's leave them to it."

"Thank you, again," John said, "for being…so kind."

Gabriel nodded and then walked away. Anna stayed behind a moment longer, watching them, before she hurried after him, leaving them alone in the large living room.

"I don't trust them," Marcus said suddenly.

"Who _do_ you trust?" John asked, sighing.

Marcus shrugged in response, not providing an answer.

"Castiel and Dean get one room," Sam said suddenly. "I'll sleep on the couch and you two can argue out the bed space." He winked at them with a laugh and hopped on the nearby couch.

Castiel quietly moved himself and Dean down the long hallway, away from Marcus, John, and Sam as they bickered about the room arrangements. Obviously John didn't think it fun to be sleeping with Marcus…again. Once he entered one of the rooms, he gently sat Dean down on the bed. Almost immediately, the Green Eye nearly toppled over. He jerked awake, startled, as Castiel moved to make sure he didn't fall off the bed.

"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly, concerned by Dean's sudden exhaustion.

"I'm fine," Dean said with a large yawn. "Where…are we?" He looked around in confusion. "Where are the others?"

"You don't remember coming in?"

"Uh, no…or I wouldn't be asking," Dean commented, looking at him.

"We found a house. Gabriel and Anna live here, apparently. They're siblings…oh, and they know you're a Green Eye…they, um…don't care."

Dean blinked at him. "How about you run that by me again…what did you say?"

"They don't care that you're a Green Eye."

"Yeah right."

"No, seriously, that's what they said," Castiel told him honestly, sitting next to him on the bed.

Dean shook his head. "They're lying."

"I don't know…they really didn't seem to care…" Except, Castiel couldn't know for sure. Because he was a useless Blue Eye…who couldn't do anything…

"Stop it," Dean said, scowling at him suddenly.

"Huh?"

"Stop thinking negative thoughts," he said, narrowing his green eyes. "I can hear you sulking."

Castiel smiled faintly. "Oh really?"

Dean nodded, rubbing tiredly at his eyes. "Yeah…"

"Go ahead and go to sleep," Castiel told him. "It's…safe." Or, at least he thought it was. And if Sam was willing to chance sleeping out in the open of the living room, then he obviously believed Gabriel and Anna when they said they didn't care about Dean's eye color, right? That was good enough for him, he realized. "It's safe," he repeated, more firmly this time as he grew faith in his words.

But Dean had already toppled over in the bed and was already out, breathing deeply in the rhythm of sleep.

* * *

Soooo I dunno where Dean's sluggish-ness came from, haha, or his loopy talking. I'm tired at the moment and can't go to sleep 'cause my dad's friend is over but yeah, haha. Hopefully things will get better soon! And expect a rated M chapter soon so if the rating of the story goes up, then you'll know why :D Thanks again and please continue to review!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	21. Chapter 21

OMG I AM SO SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT! For some reason, this site wouldn't let me update anything or edit it or anything. It's still like that, and I can't email anyone to fix it because apparently I have the wrong email service...? Whatever that means. Except, I recently (...like an hour ago...) found a way around the error thingy and so here is the next chapter of Green Eyes! 2-3 chapters left, people! I will tell you right now that there will be character death, so be warned!

WARNING FOR THIS CHAPTER!: Ummmm yeah. The rating is up now. Rated M. I promised you guys a mature scene, right? Well, here it is! However, I am HORRIBLE at writing them, and especially for Dean and Cas for some strange reason O.o so I'm so sorry if it sucks! I tried!

Not much happens in this chapter...just the, you know, 'M' stuff...thanks. If you are still reading this story, you are so completely awesome! Especially after the long delay! Over a month! Gasp! I do apologize sincerely for that, but it was because it wouldn't let me update or anything like that. Now it does :D Thanks so much for the wonderful reviews, you guys...that's what keeps this story going! Please continue to do so!

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Twenty-One

Dean woke feeling better than he had in a long, long time. The ache in his joints was gone, and he felt well-rested. The warmth nestled against him was a great help as well, and he rolled to see Castiel snuggled into him. After a brief moment of hesitation, Dean pulled him close and slid his arms around him, closing his eyes as he gave into a contented breath. Things seemed to be going okay - they had been staying with Gabriel and Anna for two days now. They were nice and actually didn't care that he was a Green Eye, or that Sam was a Hazel Eye. It was definitely a relief after everything they'd all been through thus far. The sound of Castiel's gentle breaths was a soothing lullaby that was quickly putting Dean back to sleep. He wondered, briefly, when this had become semi-normal, waking up with the Blue Eye there with him.

Things had changed so much in so short of time, or so he thought. Not long ago, he'd been just a normal Green Eye in the Abyss, carefree and without a care about any of the other Eyes. Now he was traveling with a Blue Eye, A Topaz Eye, a Brown Eye, and a Hazel Eye. He was maybe even friends with them, he realized, and perhaps even something more with Castiel. It was wrong, he thought, for a Green Eye to even think that way about a Blue Eye, but he couldn't help it. Castiel didn't make it easy on him, either, kissing him and snuggling into him at night…yeah, it was definitely Castiel's fault Dean felt this way, right?

Dean yawned and tried to get back to sleep. However, the sound of knocking at the bedroom door had him groaning and rolling out of bed. He stomped angrily toward the door, feeling more relaxed here than he had in a long while, even back in the Abyss. He pried the bedroom door open to see Anna standing there, smiling brightly at him. The girl was way too cheery for in the morning, in Dean's opinion. He fought down a scowl.

"Morning!" she said cheerily, her grin so wide Dean was surprised her face didn't crack from the sheer force of it. "Pancakes are done!"

"Um…right, thanks," Dean said slowly, his stomach growling suddenly at the thought of food, marvelous and glorious _food_. Anna giggled and disappeared down the hallway, causing Dean to chuckle and shake his head at her strange ways. Then he shut the door and turned to find Castiel sitting up in bed, watching him with soft blue eyes. "Did I wake you?" Dean asked guiltily. "Sorry."

"It's fine," Castiel assured him. "Was that Anna?"

"Yeah, she said that pancakes are done." Dean smiled and then sat next to Castiel on the bed, leaning forward so their faces were almost touching. He stared into those deep blue eyes for a long moment, suddenly forgetting what he was going to say, but then he just smirked and leaned in a little more to kiss the corner of Castiel's mouth. Castiel stiffened but relaxed happily as he brought his arms up and around Dean's neck, pulling him a little closer. Dean happily obliged the Blue Eye. "After breakfast," Dean said, pausing momentarily to trail kisses down the Blue Eye's neck, smirking at the shivers that tore through Castiel, "I say we have some fun."

"Yes," Castiel said with a jerky nod, eyes wide as he watched Dean.

"If that's what you want," Dean said quickly, frowning. He didn't want Castiel to feel as though he was being pressured into anything, because he wasn't. Dean would gladly do nothing if that was what Castiel wanted, but more than anything, he had a strong desire to just _be_ with Castiel, no matter how wrong it might have sounded. He couldn't help how he felt inside.

"Yes," Castiel said again, smiling this time. "And I would like very much to kiss you again."

"You don't have to ask," Dean said with a grin as the two of them leaned forward and met in the middle, their mouths connecting as though that was where they belonged. Dean's heart started beating rapidly in his chest at the wonderful contact. No one should have been able to have this kind of affect on him, right? But yet here they were.

If someone had told him before that he'd one day wind up falling for round-eyed, blue-eyed someone, he would have laughed and thought them completely and utterly crazy. However, now as he thought back on their journey together, it almost made sense in a strange sort of way. Who would have thought that by just helping a single Blue Eye one day in the Abyss would have led to so much?

And not all of it was good. Most of it wasn't. Most of it was horrible. People hated him because he was like a rogue Green Eye. People feared him and wanted him dead simply because of that fact. He and the others had been captured. He'd been attacked by that horrible, violet knife. But no matter what horrible things came out of that choice that one day so long ago, he wouldn't change what he'd done. He would always choose to help the Blue Eye. He would always choose to help Castiel and keep him safe.

Always.

Sighing contentedly into Castiel's soft, pliable mouth, he forced himself to pull away. If he didn't restrain himself right now, he wasn't sure what would happen. He smiled brightly at the Blue Eye. "Pancakes, Cas," he said simply.

Castiel smiled at him and stood. His hand landed on Dean's shoulder - there was no reason for it to be there. It was just a gentle resting place for his hand, and Dean didn't mind in the slightest. In fact, even though he usually hated any physical contact of any kind, he actually found himself enjoying the fact that Castiel was touching him, that he _wanted_ to touch him. Maybe it was wrong, but he couldn't help it. Just like he couldn't help being a Green Eye.

They entered the kitchen and Dean sat gratefully in one of the chairs. Castiel sat next to him. Already there was a heaping plate of hot pancakes sitting in front of both of them, and Dean quickly dug in once his stomach growled hungrily. Saliva filled his mouth as he ate, the taste so great. He'd forgotten how completely wonderful a nice home cooked meal could taste, having been on the run so often nowadays. He felt guilty about that - he really did.

It had been his fault, right? He was the one who had gone out of the Abyss and caused all the trouble. Those Blue Eyes had attacked Castiel, John, and Sam because he'd been a Green Eye out of the Abyss, which simply wasn't allowed. Marcus was involved now because he'd been the Green Eye that the Topaz Eye had been told to convert, whatever that really entailed. They were all on the run now because of him - and to think, it'd all started due to one little act of kindness toward a Blue Eye in the Abyss, so long ago…

He wouldn't change it, though. He would always help Castiel. It was strange, thinking that way, mostly because before, his rules had detailed how he was to not help any other Eye except Green Eyes. _Leave them be. They don't deserve help._ Well, he'd certainly gone above and beyond to break that.

However, not all Eyes were bad. Just like not all Green Eyes were ruthless and cruel like other Eyes though, the other Eyes weren't all bad themselves. Castiel certainly wasn't evil as Dean had thought at first. He was kind and gentle - a little confused at times, and naïve, but gentle and caring, which Dean certainly loved about him. He'd never thought he'd one day be feeling like this about a Blue Eye, sitting at a kitchen table surrounded by other Eyes, eating pancakes without thought of worry that the people at the table would turn on him because he was a Green Eye. This was…nice.

In this moment, to Dean, everything seemed completely and utterly _perfect_.

And then Castiel smiled at him, and the warm feeling in his chest grew in size, causing him to smile back goofily.

Friends. He had friends. He had Castiel.

For being a Green Eye on the run and out of the Abyss, at the moment, life was pretty good.

* * *

Castiel remembered Dean's words from the bedroom before they'd gone to breakfast, and all the while he was eating, it was all he could think about. He wanted to be with Dean - even more than he already had, too. He wanted to be with Dean in every way, in every meaning of the phrase, and he wanted to forget the fractured memories from before, of when Michael had been pinning him down. He wanted to replace that nightmare with pleasant memories of Dean, the Green Eye he loved.

And so, when he and Dean were done eating breakfast, they excused themselves from the table. Sam winked at Castiel. Castiel had to admit that sometimes Sam really scared him with how much he winked, smiled in that 'I know something you don't know I know' sort of way, which was really confused. Quickly, he and Dean disappeared from the room while the rest of their group continued eating, and returned to their bedroom.

"I love pancakes," Dean sighed dreamily, licking at his lips. Remembering how Dean had said he didn't have to ask, Castiel leaned forward and caught those pliable lips with his own, tasting the syrup Dean had used just a few minutes ago. Dean wrapped his arms around Castiel in return, pulling him closer so that their chests were touching. One of Dean's hands curled lightly into Castiel's hair, combing through the dark locks gently, causing Castiel to release a soft moan into his mouth. When they broke for air, Dean smiled at him, his green eyes shimmering with delight and a type of caring love Castiel had never seen in anyone else's eyes, ever. "But I like you more."

Castiel was so happy to hear Dean say that. "I like you more, too," he whispered as the two connected again, their mouths doing a dastardly dance, their tongues battling for dominance in the slick mouths. Castiel's heart raced happily in his chest as he and Dean moved toward the bed and collapsed heavily onto it, still locked in their wonderful kiss, their arms still around each other as though to hold onto this feeling forever.

Dean pulled back suddenly, causing Castiel to frown.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked worriedly, going over their kiss in his head, but he couldn't think of anything he'd done wrong, or anything like that.

Dean smiled. "No, of course not," he said with a chuckle, before he frowned suddenly and chewed on his lower lip, averting his gaze toward the ground. "I just…are you sure about this, Cas? I mean…we don't have to do anything. It's fine. Honest."

Dean was so considerate and kind. Castiel smiled at him. "Look at me," he said, and waited for Dean to raise his eyes and peer at him through his overly long lashes. "I want to do this…with you. Only you. I don't want…anything like this to be a painful memory." He paused, frowning to himself as he struggled to think of what to say. He pulled Dean closer and rested their foreheads together, looking into the bright green eyes he'd grown to love. "I want to be with you, Dean," he whispered.

Dean paused momentarily and then smiled. "Okay, Cas - if that's what you want," he said gently, kissing the tip of his nose. "Then okay. But…it's going to hurt a little-"

"I'm aware," Castiel cut in. "But I want this. Dean."

Dean nodded. "Alright, Cas - okay. I'll be gentle."

"I know you will," Castiel said with a soft smile. "I trust you."

Dean blinked and looked away suddenly, shifting uneasily. Castiel frowned and pulled his head back a little.

"…Dean? Are you okay?" he asked worriedly, wondering if he'd said something wrong or had done something wrong. This was all still new territory for him, after all. His only memories of anything like this was that fractured nightmare of Michael. He wanted it to be replaced with something good…great, and wonderful. Something _Dean_.

"I just…Yeah. Sorry." Dean smiled at him.

"What's wrong?"

A pause. "I just…that's the first time anyone's really ever said that to me, you know? I've had friends, sure, but…to have them say they _trust_ me?" He shook his head and sighed. "That's just…" He trailed off and Castiel tightened his hold on him.

"Well, _I_ trust you," Castiel whispered into his ear, causing Dean to shiver a little. "And I want this. I want _you_."

That seemed to be all the words Dean needed to hear, because suddenly, Castiel found himself shirtless and faced with an equally shirtless Dean, and their mouths were red hot for each other. Their skin brushed warmly, a tentative friction forming between them as things grew more intense and more heated. Dean's hands skimmed the flat of Castiel's stomach and disappeared into his pants, prying them down. They dropped away from his hips and dropped to the floor, soon followed by his underwear.

"How come I'm the only one naked?" he complained with a grimace, looking at Dean. He tugged at the Green Eye's pants with a scowl. Dean chuckled and shucked his own pants and underwear off, tossing them to the side. Where they landed, Castiel didn't know, because he was suddenly pinned down on the bed with Dean on top of him, kissing him down his chest and stomach and sinking lower, causing Castiel to shiver with delight.

"We have no lube," Dean grimaced.

"It's fine," Castiel panted, tugging Dean closer. There was a part in his mind that told him to stop this, but that was the part of fear. He wasn't afraid of Dean, though. Michael was the one who had caused that fear because of what he'd done to him. Something so horrible he couldn't think about it right now, and so he shoved the thoughts away and smiled at the Green Eye above him. "I'm ready."

Dean chewed on his lower lip for a moment and then nodded. "Alright, Cas…are you sure? Last chance to back out."

"I'm very sure, Dean."

And he was.

* * *

Dean positioned himself at Castiel's entrance, his heart racing wildly in his chest. It wasn't like he was a virgin or anything - he'd certainly done this before. Never with another guy, and certainly not a Blue Eye, but he'd done it before. It always hurt a little the first time and he didn't want to cause Castiel more pain. It was obvious Michael had done something really horrible to him, most likely in a sexual manner, too. And Dean was going to kill that sorry bastard, he swore to himself. Because no one hurt his Castiel.

…His…

He sighed and began fingering the Blue Eye open, knowing that it was now or never. Castiel stiffened and clenched around his digits but he kept a gentle, steady pace going, hoping it would start to feel pleasurable soon. He didn't want to cause Castiel pain. Only pleasure.

He added a third finger and continued his prep work, stretching the entrance as easily as he could. Castiel stiffened again and closed his eyes tightly, and Dean looked away, not liking that he was causing him pain. _I'm sorry,_ he thought. _But I'm not Michael. I won't hurt you…_

At least…he hoped he didn't.

Finally, after a few moments of this, Castiel began gasping in pleasure. "That…feels good," he panted suddenly.

Dean smiled faintly. "Yeah?"

"Very. More."

Well, who was Dean to say no? He started a faster, deeper pace, working his fingers nicely. It wasn't like he wasn't experienced, after all. He liked pleasuring people. Never any guys before - put girls sometimes liked it too. Except, he'd never felt like this for them, though. What he was feeling now…love, a great liking, adoration…whatever it was, he felt it only for the Blue Eye and no one else. What he felt was special.

"More," Castiel panted again. Well, it was nice that he was enjoying it.

Dean grinned and pulled his fingers away, leaning over the Blue Eye and positioning himself. "Are you ready, Cas?"

"Yes," Castiel breathed. "Dean."

He liked hearing his name said breathlessly and with want like that. It made a chill, the good kind, crawl through him and he placed his aching member at Castiel's entrance. Slowly, he pushed his way in and felt the Blue Eye clench around him. It was a pleasurable feeling, to be sure, but the hiss of slight pain that Castiel gave through off any pleasure he was feeling. He started an easy rhythm, pumping in a little and then back out before repeating the process several times.

Then Castiel moaned with delight and rocked his hips downward so that Dean entered him a little more. "Dean, fuck, more," Castiel hissed.

Dean grinned. "Right away, Cas," he said with a chuckled, pumping in faster and deeper, swallowing back his own moans of pleasure as he listened to Castiel's. It was a wonderful, pleasurable sound the Blue Eye was making, and it damn near made Dean climax on his own. He held out, though, keeping up his smooth, deep, and rapid rhythm, his hands digging into Castiel's hips as he did so, bringing the Blue Eye down on him as he shot forward.

"Fuck - _Dean!_" Castiel cried, and the sound of his voice was like a melody to Dean's ears.

"Cas," he said back happily. Castiel's hands clawed at the bed sheets. The friction of their skin rubbing together was making Dean hot and bothered, and he was sure it was doing the same to Castiel. Dean wasn't sure how much longer he could hold out.

"D-Dean, I…I'm gonna-" Castiel choked suddenly.

"Come for me, baby," Dean whispered huskily, getting ready to do the same.

The came at the same time, Dean inside of Castiel and Castiel all over the bed sheets. Yikes. Having to explain that mess would not be pretty, but at the moment, Dean didn't give a damn. Because he collapsed forward on Castiel and the mess happily, draping an arm over Castiel's chest as he did so, pulling the Blue Eye closer.

"That…felt…" Castiel panted as though struggling to come up with the correct word.

"Awesome?" Dean supplied with a grin. "Amazing? The best? Great?"

"All of the above," Castiel breathed, rolling toward Dean and capturing his lips with a sweet, wet kiss.

"I agree," Dean said, pulling the Blue Eye even closer.

Dean may have had activities like this before - sex - but it had never been this great.

Because this time, he was actually with someone he cared about.

And he really did care about Castiel.

Taking in a slow breath, he nuzzled his face into the crook of the Blue Eye's neck, feeling his pulse race. "I love you, Cas…" he whispered for the first time in his life. He'd never once told anyone that he loved them…at least not in a way that he meant it.

And he truly did mean it this time. He loved Castiel. He'd admit it. He loved him.

Castiel combed his fingers through Dean's damp hair. "I love you too, Dean," he whispered back just as quietly, his voice just as meaningful.

And for the first time in Dean's life, he actually felt like he was _home_.

* * *

Hope you liked it! I'm sorry if that scene just totally sucked and I butchered everything O.O I'm sorry! Haha. Uhhh like I said, there will be _character death_ later on. I'm telling you now so no one tries to kill me at the end O.o Anywho, thanks so much for reading. Dean and Michael face-off in 1-2 chapters! Also, when this story ends, look for its sequel called Golden Eyes! Thanks and please continue to review ;)

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	22. Chapter 22

Two chapters in one day! Gasp! lol :D Well...one day for me 'cause I haven't been to bed yet O.O I'm tired! Hehe. Only one more chapter left! ...or two. Not sure yet. Either one chapter and an epilogue type thingy or two chapters. What do you think?

The final face-off is next chapter! :D yay! ...and the character death...coming...soon...Ugh.

Thank you all so much for following this story! I hope you are enjoying it! Is it sad that my longest story (other than one I lost when my chip died) is a fanfic story? Sigh. But Dean and Cas are just so awesome!

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Two

Dean narrowed his eyes into small slits as he came awake with a gasp. Instantly, he smoked away from Castiel, who was sleeping peacefully, curled into his side. The darkness in the room was all he could see, but for some reason, something just really felt _wrong_. He glided out of the room to investigate, not wanting to disturb Castiel. The Blue Eye needed his rest, especially after today's activities. If he was in physical form at the moment, Dean would have been smiling. As it was, he just glided silently, seeping out of the house through the cracks in the front door. Outside stood Marcus, a stiffness to his shoulders as he stood there, his topaz eyes narrowed and stony. Dean materialized behind him.

"What's wrong?" he asked the Topaz Eye, walking forward to stand next to him. If Marcus was surprised he was there, he certainly didn't show it. Instead, he just kept looking out toward the trees.

"Something's coming," Marcus said lowly. "I can feel it. Can you?"

"I…think so," Dean murmured, because there had to have been a reason he'd woken as he had, right? And there was certainly a reason for why he felt this inner chill. He narrowed his eyes. "What do you think it is?"

"I'm not sure…but I don't like it," Marcus told him. Dean nodded even though Marcus wasn't looking at him. He chewed on his lower lip, struggling to think of what was wrong.

"The Gray Eyes, you think? Blue Eyes?" Dean asked quietly, even as his heart stuttered at the mere thought of it. Marcus shrugged and then nodded slowly.

"Probably," he sighed.

"Maybe we should scan the perimeter," Dean suggested.

Marcus nodded. "I'll go right. You go left." Then he suddenly vanished.

Dean sighed. It was going to be a long night. He smoked out of existence and flitted through the air at a high speed, scanning the area for any signs of trouble.

Why were these Eyes after them like this? What did Michael want with them? He could guess at what Michael had done to Castiel - and of course he didn't like it. He wanted to kill Michael for it, and vowed to himself that he would soon do so. However, even so, why was this happened? What did Michael and the White Eyes want with any of them? It just didn't make any sense.

Who would have thought that one simple act of kindness so long ago would have caused all of this to happen in his life?

_Well…when a butterfly flaps its wings…_ Dean thought to himself as he continued gliding through the air. He still wasn't seeing anything out of the ordinary, which was a good thing. Maybe he and Marcus were both just paranoid…though why they would both be feeling like that at the same time was completely beyond him. He'd rather be back in bed with Castiel, the Blue Eye close to him…

He mentally sighed to himself at the thought. He had honestly never felt like this for anyone else before. Castiel was special. For one, he was a Blue Eye but yet he wasn't prejudice. He preferred to be called by his name and call others by their name, and not call them Blue Eye, Green Eye, etc. Dean liked that about him. Of course he did. Castiel was kind and gentle, trusting and maybe naïve, but wonderful all the same. And Dean loved him for it. He loved him for being who he was. Castiel made him feel like he wasn't just a lowly Green Eye - he made him feel like he was an actual _person_, just like everyone else. He made Dean want a better life for himself than a simple place in the Abyss.

He did a pretty thorough check on his half of the perimeter. He wondered how it was going for Marcus, and how the others were back at the house. A strange, dark knot forming in his stomach, he was forced to materialize as dread consumed him like a cold inferno raging within him. Something was wrong, and he could sense it. He wasn't sure why or how, but he just _knew_.

_Cas._

He had to get back to the house. Right now.

Before all hell broke loose.

* * *

Castiel didn't know what to do. All he knew was that he and the others were being horded into the living room. Angry Gray Eyes were surrounding them. Anna and Gabriel lay flat on the ground, out cold. Sam didn't look much better, staggering as he was shoved down the hall behind Castiel. Behind him was John, who was snarling lowly under his breath. A Blue Eye was watching them all with smug satisfaction.

"Where is the Green Eye?" the Blue Eye asked, looking at each of them. "And the Topaz Eye."

Castiel didn't know - he was wondering the same thing, to be completely honest. He'd woken when the front door of the house had been kicked in. Jerking awake, he'd only had but a few seconds of clarity before the bedroom door had opened and he dragged forcefully out of bed, still clad only in his sweats and no shirt. Why would he need to sleep in a shirt when he had Dean? Dean was warmer and more comforting than any shirt or blanket could or would ever be, in Castiel's eyes.

"None of you going to answer me?" The Blue Eye pulled out a violet knife and Castiel froze, recognizing it as the weapon that had caused Dean and Sam so much pain. Sam recognized it too, because he suddenly stiffened and went pale, trying to take a step back but a Gray Eye stood behind him, preventing him from doing so. "Alright then. I guess I'll have to rip it out of you. Randal, bring the Hazel Eye forward."

"No," Sam breathed as the Gray Eye behind him shoved him forward, grabbing hold of his arms tightly as he wrenched them behind his back. "No! Not again!" Sam cried.

"Leave him the fuck alone!" John snapped, stepping forward, but he was quickly shoved into the far wall by the Gray Eye standing next to him, and held there by strong hands and a shield of rapid wind that pressed against him like a small tornado, all whirling and gray.

The Blue Eye stepped forward. Castiel growled lowly in his throat, taking a step forward as well, his heart racing wildly in his chest, beating with fear. He wasn't strong - he would lose the fight, he knew, but he couldn't just let this happen. Sam was a friend - he'd helped Castiel and Dean, and he was a good person. Castiel couldn't let him experience the horrible pain they said that was caused by the knife again. Not again, not after they'd all gotten away from that horrid place and were supposed to be free now.

The Blue Eye narrowed his dark eyes at him. "Castiel," he said with a cocky smirk. "Michael's been wanting to see you again."

A chill crawled through Castiel's spine, but he wasn't going to let it affect him again. Whatever Michael had done to him, it was in the past. He only had fractured memories of that period of time. Dean was who was important now - Dean, Sam, John, and Marcus. And now Anna and Gabriel, since they were staying with them at the moment. They were still unconscious on the ground, having yet to move. Castiel knew they were alive only by the rise and fall of their chests.

Handcuffs clamped onto Sam's wrists. Sam whimpered as the violet knife was waved in front of his face by the Blue Eye. A Gray Eye held tight to Castiel's arm, stopping him from advancing any further. "Leave him alone," Castiel said with narrowed eyes.

"Or else what?" the Blue Eye laughed. "What are you going to do?" He promptly pressed the knife into Sam's shoulder. Sam screamed immediately and went to his knees, tugging at the cuffs that held him weak and helpless, his head thrown back to reveal the veins in his neck.

"Leave him _alone_ - let go of him!" Castiel snapped, but it was like no one was hearing him. Why couldn't he control his ability to make people _stop_? It might not work on the Blue Eye, true, but the Gray Eyes…if he could just affect them _somehow_, then maybe…But he couldn't. "Stop!" It wasn't working. He tried to tug free of the grip the Gray Eye had on him, but he couldn't. His arms were held in place at his sides as he was forced to stand there and watch as Sam screamed with pain.

"Sam! Sammy!" John yelled, struggling to break free from where he was, the wind still pressing against him. "Sam!" The Gray Eye working the wind against him was suddenly lifted into the air and thrown into the far wall. John lunged away from the wall and toward Sam, where he knocked the knife away instantly. "Sam - Sammy?" He grabbed the Hazel Eye's shoulders and shook him while Sam sucked in gulps of air and stared at him with wide, glazed eyes full of pain.

The Blue Eye laughed and stepped forward again, picking up the knife.

Dean suddenly materialized in front of Sam and John, arms spread wide as though to shield them. John clung to his son, holding him tight as though trying to offer comfort, his fingers stroking over the cuffs locking Sam's hands behind his back. _Dean,_ Castiel thought worriedly. "Leave them alone," Dean growled furiously, his eyes flashing with his hidden, angry fire. Sparks of the red flames sprang to life around his hands, twitching to life and then dispersing into nothing before reappearing again.

"Ah, there you are, Green Eye," the Blue Eye said, amused. "Been hiding, have you?"

Dean narrowed his eyes and snarled beneath his breath. Castiel tried to stop forward again, wanting to be at Dean's side, but a harsh hit to the head had him gasping as he sank to his knees, his vision blurred. Dean looked over at him worriedly, his green eyes concerned. "Cas?" he whispered quietly.

"I'm okay," Castiel murmured back, rubbing at his head where the Gray Eye had hit him.

"All of you are going to come with me," the Blue Eye said, "or I will be forced to kill someone. Is that clear?"

"Like hell we're going with you," John spat hatefully, glaring at him as he continued holding onto Sam. "Not in a million fucking years!"

"I wasn't asking," the Blue Eye said with a smirk. Before Castiel knew what was happening, there was a sharp pain in the side of his head. He collapsed forward, his vision swimming.

"D…Dean…" he murmured faintly, his eyes falling closed.

"Cas!" Dean said worriedly. He thought he might have heard the Green Eye moving toward him.

But then everything went dark, consciousness only a fading memory.

* * *

Castiel came awake gasping. Someone was applying pressure to his head, and that was all he could think about. Groaning, he blinked his eyes open and saw a blur moving above him. "Dean…?" he mumbled, hoping that was who it was because that was who he wanted to see.

"Cas?" came a familiar voice, but it wasn't Dean's. Castiel blinked a few times to reveal the blur to be Sam, who was pressing a towel to his head. "Are you okay? How do you feel? That was a nasty hit to the head."

"I'm fine," Castiel said, frowning as he looked around. Gabriel and Anna were sitting on the couch, sipping at water while John talked to them. However, there were two people missing. One stood out more than the other. "Where's Dean?" He slid his gaze toward Sam. "And Marcus?"

Sam hesitated. That alone wasn't a good sign, and neither was the way he averted his gaze. "Cas…a lot happened after you passed out," he said slowly, carefully, chewing on his lower lip all the while. He combed his fingers through his hair worriedly, as though he didn't know how to go about saying what he needed to say next.

"Sam?" Castiel swallowed thickly, worriedly, because it was obvious something was wrong. _Where's Dean? Where's Marcus? Please let them be okay. Dean…_ he thought to himself, closing his eyes momentarily. He took a breath and opened them again, frowning at the Hazel Eye. "Sam? Where's Dean? And Marcus? Where are they? What happened?" He sat up slowly and Sam, thankfully, moved back a bit so he could do so.

"Take it easy, Cas," Sam sighed. "Like I said, that was a-"

"Nasty blow to the head, yeah, I got it," Castiel cut in. He wasn't meaning to be rude, but it felt an awful lot like Sam was just trying to evade the conversation, and he desperately needed to know the answers to his questions. He needed to know where Dean was. He had to see him. He needed to know he was okay - he and Marcus both. "Sam, where are they? Where's Dean?" When Sam just looked away and shook his head, not answering him, Castiel growled and faced Sam completely, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him. Somehow Sam seemed to have managed to the handcuffs off, because they sat next on the floor. "Sam. Answer me," he hissed angrily, narrowing his eyes. "Where's Dean? _Answer me_."

Sam's expression glazed over suddenly, as though he were in a daze. "He and Marcus got taken," he said in a flat tone of voice that caused John to stop talking to Gabriel and Anna and glanced over at them with a frown. Sam continued in that same, monotonous voice. "They took them. They're gone."

"Castiel, what the hell?" John snapped. "Stop influencing Sam."

Castiel stumbled back and sat on his heels in alarm. He'd been influencing Sam, yes, but that wasn't what he cared about at the moment - Dean and Marcus had been taken. Captured by the Blue Eye and those Gray Eyes, then. And those Eyes had that violet knife Dean had admitted being afraid of.

Dean was gone. Marcus was gone. Taken. Captured by those Eyes with that horrible knife.

_Dean_ was gone.

"Where'd they take them?" Castiel growled, getting to his feet.

John frowned at him. "We don't know. Probably back to that compound, but, Castiel-"

"Then that's where we're going," Castiel said determinedly.

Gabriel frowned. "Dude, seriously, that sounds like a horrible idea."

"We're going."

"It's suicide, returning there," Sam said quietly, resting his hand on Castiel's shoulder. "I know you care about Dean, but-"

Castiel angrily shook off Sam's hand. It didn't feel right. It wasn't the right weight, the right feel, the right warmth…it just wasn't right. It wasn't Dean's. So it was all wrong. "We're going to get them back." He was going to get _Dean_ back, along with Marcus. "We're going."

"It's a suicide mission, Castiel," John said evenly, narrowing his eyes at him. "I don't think Dean or Marcus would want us to-"

"But you don't _know_ that," Castiel snapped, growling. "And you don't know that because they're not _here_. We're not leaving them with those horrible Eyes! We're not!"

He usually didn't yell. He could see the shock written on John's face and the sadness written on Sam's. But he didn't care at the moment, because Dean and Marcus had been captured. They were both gone at the moment, and they had to get them back, right?

_Dean…why is this happening?_ Castiel thought with a thick swallow. He had to get them back. He had to get _Dean_ back. Marcus, yeah, but _Dean_…

"Castiel, please, you have to understand," Anna started, frowning at him worriedly.

"Shut up," he snapped, glaring at her. "If none of you will help me, I'll go on my own! But I'm not leaving him - them - there! No!" He stomped toward the door, the only thought in his mind getting Dean - and Marcus - back.

"Castiel, stop!" John grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop before he reached the door. "Look, we'll…If we go there, there's a chance none of us will make it out alive. Can you understand? Do you really think, knowing Dean and Marcus, that they would want us to risk this? Honestly?"

Castiel narrowed his into dangerous slits, his heart racing wildly in his chest with fear and dread - fear that yesterday was the list time he'd ever get to lay with Dean, that now it was all gone, dread that everything was falling apart. "You don't get to tell _me_ what Dean would want," he hissed lowly, like a volatile snake ready to strike at any given moment. John took a startled step back while the others watched him with wide eyes. "He told me himself he was afraid of that violet knife." He slid his gaze toward Sam. "You know how that knife feels, Sam. Do you really think I'm going to just leave him there to be _stabbed_ by it, over and over? To be tortured? Him or Marcus?"

Sam paled, grimacing at the thought of the knife. John narrowed his eyes.

"I'm going after them. You guys can either stay here or join me." With that, he exited the house through the crushed door, the door that had been broken so those Eyes could enter the house earlier.

He was going to get Dean - and Marcus - back.

He had to.

_I'm coming, Dean._

Failure wasn't an option.

* * *

Dean groaned as he was thrown to the ground, his hands cuffed behind his back, rendering him useless. His abilities wouldn't spring to life and he felt like a caged animal, helpless to do anything but knowing that whatever was going to happen next was going to hurt tremendously.

A low chuckle sounded before him. He didn't know where he was. He just knew he'd been dragged down a long hallway and had been tossed into a room before the Gray Eyes that had been leading him had left, shutting the door behind him.

Now he looked up.

And growled low in his throat when he came face to face with the person he hated most.

"Michael," he sneered lowly, tugging at the cuffs that held him prisoner.

Michael stood before him, grinning. "Hello, Dean," he said, pulling out a violet knife. Dean suppressed the urge to whimper, refusing to show weakness to this psychopath who had hurt Castiel. "You have been a very _bad_ boy, and now it's time to pay."

"Like you're one to talk," Dean scoffed angrily. "What the hell did you do to Cas, huh?" He narrowed his eyes into small slits, which he was out of these cuffs so his Eye abilities would work, but it was like his body had shut down on him, rendering him helpless.

Michael's eyes flashed, hinting at something far darker and far more dangerous hidden within him as he took a step closer to Dean, gripping the violet knife tightly. "That, Green Eye, is none of your business." He drove the knife downward, into Dean's shoulder.

Pain exploded through the Green Eye, and he bit down hard on his lower lip to try and keep from crying out in agony. A whimper did tear free, though, as he bit down hard enough to draw blood. The metallic taste filled his mouth.

Michael pulled the knife out and grinned like the sadistic bastard he was. "So how is Castiel these days? I rarely see him."

"Oh, just great now that he's away from _you_," Dean snarled breathlessly, despite the residual pain from the knife.

Michael snarled angrily. "You smell like him."

Dean blinked, unsure as to how to respond to that. _What. The. Hell?_ he thought, confused. "Um…what?"

"You smell like him," Michael snapped as though it should have been completely obvious. He grabbed Dean by the front of his shirt and hauled him to his feet, slamming him harshly against the wall, eyes furiously as they flashed dangerously. "You've been with him."

_What the hell is this guy?_

"That's classified," Dean said, narrowing his eyes. "And none of your damn business, _Mikey_."

Michael growled low in his throat and rammed the knife into Dean's stomach. The pain started immediately, but then stopped at Michael pulled the blade back out, and then slammed it back in again, over and over. It was a constant battle of pain and relief, pain and relief, and Dean couldn't help but whimper and cry out as he sank to his knees again, his heart slamming away in his chest, his vision swimming. Passing out right now would have been a blessing, but the pain kept him awake.

"Stop!" he hissed through clenched teeth, struggling to hold back his cries even as Michael stabbed him practically all over with that horrible, violet knife. "Stop!" He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take. Then again, he kind of did - he'd been tortured non-stop before, right? It could happen again. Because it didn't appear to be physical, but mental…The knife wasn't causing real damage…

But, _fuck_, it hurt so _much_…He just wanted it to _stop_…

Michael pulled back finally, grinning like a malevolent, sadistic version of the Cheshire Cat. "Castiel is too good for a lowly Green Eye like you. You have corrupted him, Green Eye, and for that you will _die_. Slowly. By my hand." He grinned like the thoroughly enjoyed the thought, and Dean knew he did.

Dean coughed as he regained his breath from after crying out due to the knife. "What…makes you think you're any better than me?" he asked the Blue Eye, grinning when Michael glared at him. Taunting the guy with that horrible knife probably _wasn't_ a good idea, but it wasn't like he was just going to let Michael win, right? Especially not after what he'd done to Castiel.

"I am _way_ better than you, Green Eye," Michael said smugly.

"Pfft. Yeah right. Prove it."

Michael's eyes flashed and Dean wondered what was going to happen next. "You know what, Green Eye? I will."

Dean swallowed, wondering what this meant. "Um…what? What do you mean? You're going to kill me?"

"Oh, I _will_ kill you," Michael said with a smirk. "But not just yet. No, I want it to be a more fair fight to show you who is really _better_. Because I am _better than you_. I'm better than you will _ever_ be."

Michael's eyes changed suddenly, and before Dean could respond, the Blue Eye suddenly vanished from the room. Blue Eyes weren't supposed to be able to do that - then again, Michael sure as hell wasn't a normal Blue Eye. He was a White Eye, and what that really meant, Dean had no idea.

Michael reappeared as suddenly as he'd vanished. Before Dean had time to react to the sudden appearance, Michael was suddenly pumping a syringe into the side of his neck. Dean pulled away from him angrily, staggering as he tried to stand, glaring at him. "What the fuck was that?" he snapped.

"Just something to even the playing field. I hate to sound like a hypnotist, Dean…but, you are about to get very _sleepy_." Michael grinned.

And then Dean's world went completely dark as he collapsed.

* * *

Hmmm wonder what Michael's planning...but of course I know! Bwahahahaha! Anywho, thanks for reading, and please continue to review! Thanks!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	23. Chapter 23

Yay! I worked all day on this O.o I'm still not quite sure about it, though. It could have been written so much better! Ugh. Hopefully one day I will come back to it and rewrite it, haha, but for now, I'm just happy to have the chapter finished! :D Um...don't kill me? Haha please?

Thanks so much, you guys, for reading and reviewing thus far. One more chapter to go and the story is complete! :D Yayayayay! Without you guys, this story would never have gone this for or amounted to so much. Thank you all so very, very much!

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Three

Dean woke with a blazing headache. Groaning to himself, he pried his heavy eyelids open and then gasped, sitting up quickly in alarm. He was surrounded by trees, nothing but wilderness in all directions, no matter where he looked. He caught a glimpse of the gray sky through a few of the branches of the massive, leviathan trees. Surprisingly, his hands weren't cuffed anymore, and he flexed his hands a bit, looking at the raw line where the cuffs had been from before. Grimacing, he stood slowly and looked around, wondering what was happening.

Michael had said he was evening the playing field. He'd stuck him with a syringe, and then everything had gone completely and utterly dark. He remembered nothing after he'd blacked out, and thus didn't know why he was here, where exactly _here_ was, or what was going on. Why would Michael bring him here?

He rubbed awkwardly at the back of his neck, struggling to think of why he was here. What was Michael planning? What had he meant? Dean just didn't understand. Sighing, he started walking, working out his stiff and sore muscles, frowning as he looked around. Nothing looked familiar, and he wasn't sure how he'd gotten here. Why would Michael and the Gray Eyes capture him, and then just drop him in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by trees? It didn't make any sense.

He'd told Michael to 'prove it', that he was the better Eye. That was what had started this thing, and now he didn't know what to do or what to expect. He had previously expected Michael to either stab him some more with that knife, or actually kill him. This, though, was completely unexpected and it left him feeling more than a little uneasy.

_What's going on?_ he thought to himself. Nothing made sense at the moment. All he wanted right then was to be away from here, away from this mess and Michael and all that he and the Gray Eyes entailed, and be back with Castiel in bed. Sighing longingly at the thought of the Blue Eye, he continued walking and crossed a small stream. His head was still throbbing, but he pushed it to the back of his mind for the time being, knowing there were more important matters at hand than his pain.

He felt weakened somewhat, but that was probably just because of the way Michael had rammed that horrible, violet knife into him over and over. His muscles were tired from the pain, even though the blade hadn't necessarily physically injured him. It still left him feeling exhausted and sore, his muscles and joints aching each time he moved, not to mention the throbbing of his head.

_What have I gotten myself into?_ he thought with a heavy sigh. Mouthing off to Michael probably hadn't been the best idea, but it was all he could think to do at the time. He wasn't going to let Michael - the very Blue Eye that had hurt Castiel - get the best of him like that without snapping back at him in some way. He'd known it would result in pain, but this was completely unexpected. It didn't make any sense at all, and try as he might to figure it out, he just kept coming up empty.

_Hope Cas is okay._ The last time he'd seen Castiel, the Blue Eye had just been knocked unconscious by a nasty blow to the head. Dean had nearly lunged to kill the Gray Eye responsible, but had then been held back by John. He'd nearly torn the Brown Eye's head off at the fact that he was trying to keep Dean away from Castiel, but he had finally seen reason and had known that although all he wanted right then was to be at Castiel's side, it just wasn't going to happen. The Blue Eye had grinned wickedly, and then Marcus had shown up to help Dean and the others, but after that, it pretty much all became a blur. Then something had rammed into Dean and he'd smacked harshly against a wall and everything had gone dark, only to come to life again when consciousness claimed his mind in the middle of a dark room, padded cuffs on his wrists, rendering him helpless.

They were gone now, though. He flexed his hands, looking down at the them and the thin red lines that were raw from trying to break free of the cuffs when Michael had been stabbing that knife through him. That knife had been just as painful as he'd remembered, but almost worse because he'd thought he'd gotten free from that place and had been on the path of no violet knives. He'd been wrong, of course, and that had seemed to make the pain all the worse as it gnawed at him, reminding him of the hidden agony that left his mind screaming long after his voice died away.

Shuddering at the thought, he continued walking, keeping his eyes narrowed for any sign of trouble. There had to have been a reason Michael had brought him here, right? To even the playing field. What did that mean, exactly? He wished he knew, but he didn't. His mind was ablaze with confused pain, and he didn't know what to do about it, or how to make it stop so clarity could regain the forefront of his thinking process.

"I was wondering when you'd wander here," a smooth voice said with an amused yet sinister chuckle. Dean spun around, startled, and saw Michael standing a few yards away, under the shade of one of the many trees surrounding the two of them. Dean narrowed his eyes into small slits.

"Michael," he hissed. "What is the meaning of this? What's going on? Why are we here?" He had so many questions that he wanted answers to.

Michael chuckled and stepped forward. Dean growled and took a step back, maintaining the distance between them. "I told you, Dean. I was evening the playing field. Feel any different?" There was something smug about his tone of voice that Dean just couldn't understand, but it made him cautious and on edge nevertheless.

He stood defensively, his eyes forever narrowed on the cocky Blue Eye before him. "What do you mean?" he asked carefully as his mind raced to find an answer for himself so he wouldn't have to rely on Michael for it. Relying on Michael for anything, no matter how small or trivial, seemed like a horrible idea and didn't sit well with Dean at all.

"Look in this creek over here. Come on - I won't bite. At least not yet," Michael said with an arrogant grin as he stepped back a little, gesturing at the small creek that ran between him and Dean. Dean frowned and then stepped forward, his curiosity prompting his feet to move even as his logical mind whispered that maybe that wasn't such a good idea.

Sighing to himself, Dean stood over the edge of the creek and peered down at the water, at his shimmering reflection. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary, nothing that would make Michael wonder if he felt different. Maybe the Blue Eye was just losing his mind - Dean was sure it was already lost, though. He scanned his gaze over most of his reflection. His clothes were tattered and stained with blood, with little tears in them where the violet knife had gone in. Crusted blood ran along the side of his face and disappeared into his hairline just above his right ear, looping over his eyebrow with a sinister looking cut. And then he took notice of the glowing beads just under the eyebrows.

_What the hell?_ he thought, swallowing back a shout as he stared down into the rippling waters below him.

Bright white eyes stared back at him, almost as Marcus had described them to him before.

No irises, just an endless sea of white and a sense of _wrongness_ that Dean couldn't even begin to describe. A clean slate, Marcus had said. Ready to be programmed. But programmed to _what_?

"What the fuck did you _do_ to me?" Dean snarled, rounding on Michael who was still standing behind him, grinning.

"I wanted to even the playing field," Michael said.

"That saying is getting old," Dean snapped. "Why did you…do this to me? I don't want to be like this! I thought you had to have my fucking _consent_ to do _this_ to me!" He took a threatening step forward, his anger and disbelief getting the best of him. As if he hadn't been a Green Eye freak _before_, now _this_? Now he was a freak of nature, a White Eye! He didn't want this! Not at all! "You take it back right now! I don't want this, you bastard! I'm a Green Eye, not one of you White Eye freaks!"

Michael narrowed his eyes. "It's better when you're consenting, but Dean…did you forget already? You _did_ agree to this."

"I did no such thing!" Dean fumed, because like hell he'd agreed to this. He didn't want this. He never would have agreed to this.

"Oh, but you did," Michael said, grinning. "You were pretty doped up at the time, of course, but you did agree to it. There was a little persuading, and then you said yes."

Dean growled low in his throat. Obviously Michael was right, because why else would he be like this? And Michael had definitely pumped something into him with that stupid syringe, so maybe that was what he'd done, and why Dean's memory felt like a blurred blank. "Why?" he asked, because he couldn't understand. "And if you say to even the playing field one more time, by the Eyes, I will kill you."

Michael shrugged. "You said to prove it, right? That I was the better Eye. I wanted to make this an even battle. Now, Dean. Pick your primary Eye so we can begin. And I will even go to that eye color with you, just to show you that I can beat you into the ground with any color I choose. Because I _am_ the better Eye."

Dean growled and narrowed his white eyes, because _he_ would be the judge of that. He had to win this…he had to beat Michael into the ground and make him pay.

For Castiel.

* * *

Castiel swallowed as he and the others approached the massive compound in the distance. When they had been fleeing from here earlier - it felt like so long ago - he never would have thought that he would one day be willingly returning to it. But he had to - for Dean. And Marcus. He had to get them back. Correction - they _all_ had to get them back.

Gabriel, somehow, had managed to convince him to wait so they could think of a semi-decent plan of action before they just went waltzing in to the danger zone. Reluctantly, Castiel had agreed, because getting himself killed certainly wasn't going to help Dean. Or Marcus. Or anyone, really.

And so, he'd waited, and now they were arriving at the compound, coming from three different directions. He, John, and Bobby - yes, Bobby. Gabriel had teleported to his house and had told him about what had happened, and surprisingly, he'd agreed to help because he wanted payback…apparently the Blue Eyes had killed his dog, Manic, and he was angry about it - were a group and were heading toward the main door. Sam, Gabriel, and Gabriel's friend Chuck were storming a side entrance. Anna, her friend Madison, and her other friend Luke were all storming the back entrance.

Things were moving along smoothly, or at least Castiel thought so. John and Bobby were flanking him as they approached the compound. John raised his hand and the door flew off its hinges due to his levitation powers, and floated in the air for a moment before John flicked his wrist and set it gently on the ground so it wouldn't make a sound. Then they filed through the door. A Blue Eye approached from the left, looking confused, but they hadn't seen them yet.

Bobby lifted his arm and the Blue Eye was thrown through the air and out the still-open doorway. Then John lifted the door and placed it back in the doorway somewhat harshly so it couldn't be moved by physical force alone. It jammed into the wall and the Blue Eye trapped outside growled lowly. Then they continued down the hallway, keeping quiet all the while.

_Where are you, Dean?_ Castiel thought to himself, and wished he could use his Blue Eye abilities when he wanted to do so. Then he might have been able to lock onto Dean's presence, but he doubted it somehow. "How are we going to find them?" Castiel murmured to the Brown Eyes quietly.

"Start looking into all the rooms, I guess," Bobby sighed. John shrugged in agreement.

And so that was what they started doing. Either John or Bobby used their levitation powers to move the doors, and then they peered into the rooms. Thus far, they kept coming up empty, and Castiel was starting to feel a tight ball of dread begin to form in his stomach. Where was Dean? Where was Marcus? Were they okay? Were they even alive?

No, as he told himself. He would know if they weren't, right? Right?

At least, he hoped so. Dean - and Marcus - had to be okay. That was the only ending he would accept for this siege to the compound. Everyone had to get out alive.

Everyone.

* * *

Dean groaned as he dragged his body up and off the ground. A fresh new cut marred his left arm, jagged and crusted with dirt as he narrowed his eyes at Michael. Michael laughed and his eyes flashed to brown as he lifted his hand and flicked his wrist. Dean was lifted into the air, and followed the flick of Michael's wrist into a tree, where he then slid down to the ground.

"Are you going to pick a primary Eye or are we going to have go through this forever?" Michael laughed. "Because I'll win either way, Dean. There's no way you can win. No way at _all_."

Dean snarled viciously. Michael thought his shit was hot, huh? Michael waved his hand again, his eyes flashing, and a giant gust of wind threw Dean off his feet again and he landed in the small creek. Michael was suddenly there, his foot pressing into his chest. Dean strained his neck to keep his head above the water as he glared daggers at the Eye above him.

"Choose your primary Eye," Michael hissed. "Choose it. _Now_."

"Why should I?" Dean hissed back. "If you're just going to win anyway, as you say." He wrapped his hand around Michael's ankle, trying to force it back and away from his chest, as it was becoming hard to breathe and the muscles in his neck were screaming protest to the way he was straining to keep his head above water.

"So you won't fight?" Michael asked with a laugh. "You told me to prove it, and here I am, doing so - and now you won't _fight_? Does Castiel really mean so little to you?"

What exactly were they fighting for? Dean was confused. It almost sounded like Michael was _jealous_ or something, but that didn't quite make sense. Why would Michael be jealous of a lowly Green Eye? Was Castiel really that important to the Blue Eye? Dean narrowed his eyes. "You're just pissy 'cause he's with me," he snapped, twisting Michael's ankle. The Blue Eye toppled off and away from him and he sat up quickly, jumping out of the water, his clothes damp and weighing him down. He tried to use his fire abilities, but couldn't seem to connect with them. He felt helpless all over again as he narrowed his eyes at the clearly furious Blue Eye.

Michael sneered at him hatefully. "You are _nothing_ compared to me," he spat angrily. "Pick your fucking primary Eye so we can _fight_. Or are you giving up already? Pity. I'd have thought you might have had _something_ in you, but apparently, you really are just a lowly Green Eye!" He laughed.

Dean narrowed his eyes. "I didn't want this in the first place! I was fine with being who I was, you bastard!"

"Choose. Or I will kill you now and you'll never see anyone ever again."

Dean growled low in his throat and finally spat out the words, "I choose green. I want to be a Green Eye."

That seemed to shock Michael. "Really? You _still _want to be a nobody? You can be any Eye you want!"

"I want to be who I am. I'm a Green Eye."

Michael nodded. "Very well."

* * *

Castiel wasn't sure what to do, but the situation was feeling more and more hopeless as time ticked by and he and the others still hadn't found anyone. Plenty of Blue Eyes and Gray Eyes, but thankfully they'd been able to handle them for the time being, since they were prepared for the attack this time, and not blindsided like before. Besides, it wasn't like the Blue Eyes and Gray Eyes came out in droves - just one here, maybe one there, but all in all, they'd run into at least five of them since entering the building.

And still no Dean. Or Marcus. Or anyone.

As far as Castiel knew, none of the others had come across anything either. Then again, it wasn't like he really knew. He couldn't contact them or communicate with them like other Blue Eyes would have been able to. All he knew was that he, John, and Bobby had yet to find either of the people they were searching for, and it was really making Castiel feel more than a little hopeless.

What if they never found Dean? Or Marcus? What if it was too late?

No. He quickly shook those horrible thoughts from his head, because it wasn't too late. It couldn't be - right? There was still time. There was still hope. They were going to find Dean and Marcus. They had to. Right?

It was the only thing Castiel would or could accept. Because the thought of never seeing Dean again - or Marcus - was painful. He and Dean had come so far together since they'd met in the Abyss. And Marcus, while kind of quiet and rude at times, had certainly become a nice addition to their group, a new friend. Castiel and the others had to get both of them back.

Bobby opened the door to yet another room, and Castiel frowned as he took notice of a figure laying flat on the ground, their hands wrenched behind them by padded cuffs. He and John ran into the room and dropped down next to the still figure. John reached out a hand and rolled them over, revealing a familiar face.

"Marcus," Castiel breathed at the sight of the bloodied face. "Is he alive?" He was almost afraid to ask. He wasn't sure what he'd do if he wasn't, because if the Eyes had done _this_ to Marcus, a Topaz Eye, he wondered what they'd done to Dean, a Green Eye.

"I think so," John said slowly as Bobby joined them in the room. He pressed two fingers to Marcus's neck and waited, and then finally sighed and nodded his head. "His pulse is weak but there." He looked at Bobby. "I need you to get Marcus out of here, okay?"

Bobby nodded with a clenched jaw. "Alright. What about you two?"

John hesitated. "I guess we'll keep looking, see what we find…just for a few more minutes. I don't like being in here with just the two of us." He gave Castiel a hard look and even though Castiel wanted to argue, he had to admit that John was right. He himself was useless as a Blue Eye - Bobby and John were the ones who could control their abilities, not him, and thus he would only be a liability. No matter how much he wanted to find Dean, putting John at risk because he was a liability didn't seem like an option.

Bobby lifted Marcus into the air with his Brown Eye abilities and left the room. John sighed and glanced at Castiel.

"If we don't find Dean in the next few minutes…then-" he started slowly, carefully.

Castiel narrowed his eyes. "We'll find him," he vowed, because it couldn't go any other way. He wondered if Gabriel could just teleport to him…they'd thought of that earlier, of course, but appearing alone in the compound hadn't seemed like such a good idea. Now, though, as time was dwindling down, Castiel wondered if it would be such a bad idea…and he wondered if Dean was even in the compound at all.

If he wasn't, then where was he?

* * *

Dean was more than a little shocked when Gabriel suddenly appeared next to him, causing him to give a yelp as he lunged to the side, nearly whacking into a tree "W-What are you doing here?" he stammered, gasping for breath. Michael, too, looked confused as he stood there a few yards away, watching them with narrowed eyes.

"Calling for help, Dean?" he asked with a sneer in his voice.

Dean narrowed his eyes and growled. "No!" he said indignantly, and then glanced at Gabriel again. "What are you doing here? How did you…Never mind." He remembered how Marcus had found him before.

"We learned you were out of the compound," Gabriel said, frowning. "And so I teleported to you…what's going on?" He seemed more than a little confused as he looked from Dean to Michael and back again. "What are you two doing out here?"

"Blame him," Dean sighed, pointing at Michael. "He brought me here."

"Enough," Michael snapped, and suddenly Gabriel was thrown back by a massive gust of wind, thrown into a tree harshly, leaving an indentation as he slid to the ground with a heavy groan.

"Leave him alone!" Dean growled, moving in front of Gabriel. "He's not your target - I am!" He shifted his gaze quickly toward Gabriel. "Get the hell out of here, you idiot!"

Gabriel stood and growled low in his throat. "I'm going to tell the others where you are and lead them here," he assured Dean. "Hold him off until then." And then he vanished, teleporting out of there.

And then Dean was surrounded by fire. Michael's eyes at the moment were green, narrowed in fury, and Dean growled and narrowed his own green eyes, his own fire sucking into fire Michael had created, almost like a vacuum. The fire vanished, dispersing into nothing, and Dean smirked at him.

"Really? Trying to use fire again _me_? C'mon, man, I grew up with fire!" Dean laughed, snickering at the murderous expression on Michael's twisted face. "If it's a game of fire you want, then it's so on."

Michael snarled and vanished, smoking away. Dean grinned.

Obviously Michael didn't understand how Green Eyes worked, or what exactly smoking entailed…and that smoking next to another Green Eye bent on revenge was a _bad_ idea.

Dean closed his eyes and focused. Fire exploded through the area, consuming trees from all direction, a protective shield woven around him. He barely felt the flames - they tickled his skin warmly but that was about it. Meanwhile, he listened as the fire heated the atmosphere around them, and then the sound of Michael crying out in pain as he rematerialized on Dean's left. Dean looked over and smiled, the flames dispersing as suddenly as they'd started. Michael was panting and gripping at his burned arm.

"You really don't know how to be a Green Eye, do you?" Dean laughed.

"I will beat you," Michael hissed. "I am a better Eye than you will ever hope to be!"

"Prove it," Dean snipped with a smirk. "Prove to me that you can be a Green Eye. Prove to me that you can master the art of the Green Eyes." Because if Michael was going to stay a Green Eye, then this was a game he could possibly win. He just needed to bait Michael into staying like this.

Michael growled low in his throat, a murderous sound that would have left Dean's blood running cold had he not been so relieved he'd managed to bait the former Blue Eye. "Very well," he snapped. "I will beat you at your own game!"

And the fight was on. Michael ran at him, fire sparking to life around his body like he was a running inferno, slamming into Dean head on. Dean snarled and allowed his body to absorb the impact as he hit the ground and rolled, coming back to his feet quickly. He shot his own bout of fire toward the former Blue Eye and then jumped away when Michael tried to retaliate.

Michael's hand nearly landed a punch on his jaw. Dean turned, rotating his body so that he could spin around and bring his leg up to kick at Michael's chest in return. Michael staggered back, obviously unprepared for such an attack, and then allowed his body to catch fire again as he lunged forward once more.

Dean wondered if anyone had warned him that he couldn't just use the fire as much as he wanted - the fire was a life source, a life energy. To use too much would result in exhaustion, sometimes even death. But it wasn't like Dean was going to tell Michael that. So he just dodged for the time being as Michael kept using the fire. Pretending to someone one wasn't was a bad idea, after all. No one should have been able to change Eyes. No one. And this was one of the reasons.

Michael didn't know the limits of the Green Eyes.

And Dean could use that to his advantage.

Michael lit the entire area on fire and Dean used his own fire only as a shield to protect himself, rather than retaliate. Michael growled angrily and sent his fire surging toward Dean, ramming against his fiery wall, but Dean just smiled at him and kept his fire going, just a small wall around him, flickering orange and red. Michael snarled and obviously tried to amp it up a notch, but lighting an entire area full blast was very exhausting and took a lot of energy, while Dean was only using a little for himself, which was definitely a much small area and thus less energy.

Michael tired more quickly than Dean would have originally thought. It was obvious Michael spent most of his time as a Blue Eye or a Gray Eye, because he didn't know how anything worked with a Green Eye. He sank to his knees, exhausted, and Dean smiled and approached him, kicking him down onto his back, his foot stabbing down into his chest much like Michael's foot had done to him earlier. Michael raised his hand, obviously trying to call upon the fire within him, but he couldn't do so. His body was far too spent and exhausted, and small flames only flickered around his fingers before dispersing into nothing in little puffs of smoke.

"Here's the thing," Dean said with a low, growling chuckle. "If you're going to challenge someone while in _their_ eye color…know your limits." He shook his head and held his hand out, intent on ending this right here and now, on killing Michael. He didn't like the thought of killing people, but Michael sure as hell deserved it after all he'd done to Dean and the others, done to _Castiel_ of all people. Sweet, caring Castiel. Dean narrowed his eyes at him angrily. "Last words, pompous ass?"

Michael just bared his teeth at him. Dean shrugged and allowed his own fire to burst forth around his hair, getting ready to send it spiraling downward to consume Michael entirely. The bastard deserved a painful death, right? He had to die for all he'd done to so many people, for creating the White Eyes and hurting Castiel. He had to pay.

And Dean would make him.

"Dean! No! Don't!" a familiar voice shouted, causing the fire around Dean's hand to disperse as he lost his concentration, his eyes flickering in the direction of the sound.

"Cas?" he breathed when he saw Castiel, Gabriel, and John running toward them. He dropped his hand, his focus lost, his relief that the others were okay consuming him. He'd been worried that after he'd been knocked unconscious, something horrible had happened to them.

Castiel's eyes suddenly widened as his face paled. "Dean! Look out!"

Dean looked back down at Michael, but not in time to register what was happening. Michael used Dean's distraction to his advantage, just like a true killer, and before Dean knew what was happening, there was a slicing pain across his front, a red hot agony seeping into his bones as something wet and warm began to cover him.

He sank to his knees as Michael got up, laughing.

"_Dean!"_ He heard Castiel screaming.

But it was suddenly hard to hear…and everything was going dark.

He toppled over with a strangled breath. His mouth had a weird metallic taste to it. Something wet and sticky was filling it. His vision was blurred and all he could see were faint shapes. One of the shapes moved toward him and dropped next to him. Something warm landed on his shoulder - a hand, perhaps? - and squeezed tightly. Voices were shouting in his ear, but they sounded so very far away.

All he wanted to do was close his eyes and sleep, his body weighing him down, a pressure in his chest that was growing, nearly consuming him. The pain gave way to numbness.

He closed his eyes.

* * *

Ummmm really hope it's not too confusing! As I said, I'm not proud of this chapter. The writing sucks...ugh. Lol or at least I think so. What do you think? Um don't kill me! haha :D Thanks for reading and please review!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	24. Chapter 24

Yes! The final chapter of Green Eyes! It has been such a long and great ride...I have really enjoyed writing it. The story came out way better than I ever thought it would, and for that, you guys are to think, the reviewers! You are the ones who kept this story going and will still keep it going into the sequel! I apologize for the angst...I blame the song I'm listening to at the moment, it put me in the mood for it. Originally it was going to end differently, sort of, but yeah, haha.

Would you guys like a sneak peek at book 2? I can write something short if you want. I know what's going to happen in it (an even better idea now! yay!) and so I can create a sneak peek if you want. Otherwise, this is it, the end of the line for Green Eyes. I really hope you guys have enjoyed it as much as I have thus far, and that you will follow me into Golden Eyes and get into it as much as you have with thise one. Thank you all so very, very much!

On a side note, I'm very tired at the moment and so there may be typos. Sorry in advance! I have no beta O.o lol. So yeah.

And so I say for the last time in this story...

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Four

Castiel skidded on his knees toward Dean and pulled the suddenly limp form into his arms. Red blood coated Dean's front, turning it a frightening scarlet color, and as the color consumed his clothes, it was as though it stole from the color of Dean's face, turning it a still white, pale and slack. "No, no, no," Castiel chanted as though this was a dream, a nightmare he would soon wake up from. He clutched the broken form toward him, not caring about the red that now painted his front as well, his arms wrapped around the warm, still body, Dean's head coming to rest on his shoulder. He could hear people speaking around him - John and Gabriel were arguing or fighting with Michael, he thought - but he didn't care at the moment, because all that mattered to him was the motionless form in his arms. "D-Dean?" he whispered shakily, and then swallowed as he tried to clear his voice of the dread and denial consuming him. "Dean?"

The Green Eye remained quiet and still, even though Castiel could hear his ragged, choppy and uneven breaths as they filtered through his blood-filled airways. A dribble of blood ran down the corner of his mouth, his head tilted lightly to one side.

By the Eyes, why had this happened? Castiel had told Dean to stop when he'd been standing over Michael, seemingly going in for the kill, only because he'd known that it would have eventually eaten at Dean if he'd taken a life away so carelessly. Sure, Michael probably deserved it - he did, for what he'd done, and even more so now for what he'd done to Dean - but to have Dean be the killer…it wasn't right. Castiel had tried to stop Dean before he could become like Michael, a killer and murderer, but now he was wishing that he could just go back and stop himself from shouting out. If he hadn't broken Dean's concentration as he had, then everything would have been fine. Michael would have been dead and Dean would have been fine. His chest wouldn't be spilling blood, his breaths wouldn't be so shaky, he wouldn't be so still and pale, and his green eyes would have been open and bright.

But he couldn't go back and stop himself. All he could do was stare down at the static form that lay cradled in his loving embrace as tears pricked mercilessly at his eyes. He could still hear the sounds of fighting - obviously John and Gabriel weren't willing to let Michael get away with what he had done, and Castiel was happy about that, but Dean was the important one here. Why couldn't they realize that? He wanted to call them to him so they could get Dean quick help, but something stopped him from doing so. Maybe it was the fact that somewhere, deep inside, something whispered to him that there would be no help this time. There would be no getting better for the Green Eye. There would be no more smiles, no more laughter or green eyes. Just a stillness that settled over Castiel's heart and mind, denial roaring through him like a raging lion.

Choking on his breath like Dean was - though for entirely different reasons - Castiel placed his hands over the wound, trying to seal it even though it was far too large for his hands to hold. Michael had shifted the blade upward in a somewhat diagonal, deep cut and all Castiel could do was watch and feel blood swish through his fingers. Dean was literally slipping through his fingers and all he could do was watch, because no amount of pressure would stop it. He could see that, knew it deep inside, but still he couldn't stop. He couldn't give up. Not on this - not on Dean. Not after he'd finally found him - not after all that happened between them and their journey together, from the Abyss so long ago to here now.

"No, no, no, Dean, c'mon - it's just a little cut, right?" Castiel mumbled, seemingly without thought as he pressed down more on the wound. The sound of the blood seeping was making him nauseous. Dean was becoming paler by the moment. "Wake up." Suddenly that was all Castiel wanted - he wanted Dean to wake up, wanted to look desperately into his green eyes, had to be able to do so at least one more time before-

No. That wasn't going to happen. Dean wasn't dying - he couldn't be. Castiel wouldn't let him. He wouldn't let him die for his mistake. It was his fault he'd distracted Dean. It was his fault Michael had been able to do this to him. All his fault, and he couldn't be the reason Dean was so still and pale, so covered with red, the blood that should have been safely locked in his veins, never allowed to turn red from the rush of oxygen.

"Please…Dean, wake up. You have to wake up. Please, c'mon, you can't - Dean - don't do this - Dean!" Desperate for some kind of response, any kind, Castiel shook him lightly, still managing to keep his hands firmly planted over the dripping wound. "Open your eyes, Dean - wake up!" He could feel a power raging through him, ready to burst, but maybe that was just his denial at what was happening - he wasn't entirely sure, all he knew was that he needed Dean to _wake up_. He had to. He had to wake up. "Dean - damn it, do you hear me? Hey? I said _wake up_!"

Dean surprised him by shifting slightly. A pained crease overtook his brow, marring his already pale and bruised face, and then slowly - so slowly - his eyes fluttered open, if only just. Through the barely parted lashes, Castiel could make out the dark green of Dean's eyes. His eyes never should have been so dark, or so glazed and void of color, so flat…This was all wrong, and Castiel silently prayed to anyone who was listening that this would all just _stop_ and go back so he could fix what had happened.

_Please…by the Eyes, don't do this. Let me stop this. I can fix it, I know I can, just…please. No. Dean._ His thoughts felt broken and shattered, or maybe that was just him. Castiel's grip on Dean tightened.

"Dean?" he whispered. "Are you with me? Please. Dean?"

Dean groaned, huffing for breath, his teeth stained red. "C…Cas…" he murmured faintly, a grim smile sparking briefly across his face. "S…Sorry…"

"You don't have anything to be sorry for," Castiel assured him, tears stinging his eyes harshly, but he didn't want to cry. He didn't want to cry because everything was going to be okay - Dean was going to be fine and they'd laugh at this one day. They would. They had to. "I'm the one who's sorry, okay? I'm so sorry - I didn't mean for any of this to happen, I just…I…I…" He swallowed thickly, his throat constricting.

" 's…okay…Cas…" Dean breathed, blinking sluggishly. It seemed to be getting harder for him to open his eyes each time. They stayed closed longer and stayed open less. The gory blood was stealing all the color of Dean's face and eyes, leaving him so pale and his eyes so dark and dim, two things they never should have been. "C-Cas…"

"Shh, don't talk," Castiel said. "Save your strength." How cliché was that? But it was all he wanted. The more Dean talked, the less strength he had, and he needed all the strength he could get at the moment. "Everything will be okay, you'll see. Just stay awake, okay? Just…stay with me, Dean."

"S-Sorry…"

"Don't be sorry," Castiel whispered, "just stay with me." Everything would be okay so long as Dean just stayed with him. No matter what Dean thought he had to be sorry for, Castiel could forgive him anything if he just stayed with him, if everything would just turn out okay. _Please, please, please…_

Dean's eyes were unfocused.

"Dean? Hey. Dean?" Castiel shook him gently, as a mother would a small child, as though Dean were the most delicate person in the world.

"Mm…" Dean mumbled, blinking slowly. "T-Tired…Cas…S-So t-tired…"

"I know you are," Castiel said, "but you can't sleep, okay?" Frantically, Castiel shook Dean again, every bit as panicked as he was gentle a moment ago. "Dean, no…No, don't, please, just stay with me, damn it…you can't do this to me, you bastard. Not after all this…not after everything we've been through together. Okay? Do you hear me? Dean? Dean?" Tears now began dripping down Castiel's cheeks, unable and unwilling to be kept in his eyes any longer. They came down in tiny rivulets of pain, marching down his cheeks like little soldiers of sorrow and dread.

"Cas…"

"Stay with me. If you don't, I…I'll never forgive you. Do you hear me? Hey! I said stay with me!" Dean's eyes had begun to close. "Dean, no - damn it, don't! I'm sorry! I'm sorry I stopped you! Stay awake! Stay with me! Don't you dare go, not after all this! Dean!" More shaking, harsher this time. Dean's head shifted with Castiel's efforts.

Dean's fingers brushed against the fabric of Castiel's shirt in a light scratch, just a numb movement of fingers. Without thinking, Castiel instantly released one hand from the wound - his mind already whispered it was futile but he couldn't allow to be as such - and grabbed Dean's hand with his own, holding it tightly, as though his mere grip alone would allow Dean to stay with him, as though his hold could keep him there with him.

"S-Sorry…Cas…l-love…y…y…" Dean swallowed painfully and closed his eyes, taking heaving, tired breaths. His body trembled with the effort as though simply breathing took more strength than he had. Castiel held him all the closer as though to offer him the little strength he did possess.

"Please don't leave me," Castiel whimpered, tears dripping down his face to splash on Dean's forehead. They cleared away dirty streaks as they slipped down his face too. "Please, Dean, don't do this - stay with me. You're strong enough, I know you are - please don't go. Stay with me!"

"L-Love…y…you…" Dean breathed, finishing what he'd been trying to say before. His eyes came open again, and as Castiel stared into them, he knew then that it would be the last time he would ever be seeing into those clear green depths, no matter how dark and dim they were now, not matter how glazed and unfocused they appeared. In them he could see the truth in Dean's words, the feeling the Green Eye did possess for him, and the tears ran down his cheeks all the more, even as he tried to swallow them back. Silent sobs shook his frame even as he held onto the stilling form that was growing heavier and heavier in his arms.

"No - No, Dean, don't, I-"

Dean closed his eyes, a ghost of a smile playing on his face. With a sigh ended his last exhale, for he did not breathe in again. He went still and limp, his hand loosening in Castiel's hold, his head lolling even further to the side, further into Castiel's shoulder. For a long moment, all Castiel could do was stare, because surely this wasn't real. This was just a dream - his mind was playing tricks on him. It had to be. Dean wasn't - he couldn't - no.

"Dean." Castiel shook him. "Dean, no, no, no, don't you dare, you can't - Dean - no - what are you doing? Stop playing around!" He shook him all the more, both hands leaving the wound this time. He shook the Green Eye with everything he had. "No, no, no, you don't get to say you love me and then leave me! Dean! Don't do this! Don't leave me! Dean! Dean! You don't get to say you love me and then go away before I get to say it back! No! It doesn't work that way, do you hear me? Dean! Wake up - damn it, _no_ - wake _up_!"

No one should have ever been this still. No one should have ever been this quiet. It was unnatural, especially for Dean. No one should have ever looked like this, so white and yet so red all at the same time. Droplets of blood stained the dark blonde hair, matting it down somewhat. Some of the strands were damp with Castiel's cascading tears, a waterfall made of pain and sorrow as he clung to the Green Eye with everything he had, as though if he just held on tight enough, he might offer Dean some of his own life and rejuvenate him.

"No, no, no…_Dean_!"

* * *

John watched grimly as Michael disappeared, this time for real. Exhausted and bruised, blood marring his forehead from a cut, Gabriel didn't go after him, instead bending over at the waist to catch his breath, his hands on his knees. Panting just as much as the Topaz Eye, John did the same, thankful that Michael had finally left, even though he'd wanted nothing more than to wipe that smug smirk off that arrogant ass's face once and for all. Right now, though, there were more important matters at hand.

John turned his head and stared in disbelief at the sight before him, his heart jumping into his throat, becoming a painful lump that he forced himself to swallow. Castiel was settled on the ground, the Green Eye pulled tightly to his chest, the blonde head resting on his shoulder. The Blue Eye's shoulders were shaking and he could faintly hear Castiel saying something, but he couldn't tell what it was from this far away. All he could see was the look of anguish on the Blue Eye's face, and he could guess at what was happening, or what had already happened. Dean was so limp and pale, his chest painted red like a carved up canvas.

Grimly, John stepped toward the two of them. Gabriel teleported there and looked sick to his stomach at the sight. John stopped next to Castiel and knelt next to him, seeing the stillness of the Green Eye. He placed a gentle hand on Castiel's shoulder and wasn't surprised when the Blue Eye roughly shook him off, still shouting at the Green Eye.

"Wake up, Dean - you have to wake up. This isn't funny anymore! Wake up! Dean!"

To hear the turmoil and anguish in those words tore violently at John's heart. Swallowing thickly, he touched a hand to Castiel's shoulder again. "Castiel…I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry this happened and-"

"No. He'll wake up in a minute," Castiel said, his lower lip trembling. John's heart broke at the sight. "He'll wake up and be fine. You'll see. Everything's going to be okay, he's just…being mean right now. He's sleeping. He'll wake up soon. He's okay. He's sleeping. He's playing a mean joke. He's sleeping."

John knew how much Castiel wanted to believe what he was saying. He could see the hopeful yet hurt expression written all over his face. He enveloped the Blue Eye in his arms in a tight embrace, his arms skimming over Dean's still-warm body as he did so. Castiel stiffened for a moment and then shoved him away.

"Dean likes personal space," Castiel declared. "You shouldn't hug us in case he wakes up."

"By the Eyes, Castiel…" Gabriel shook his head, still looking sick to his stomach, a saddened look overtaking his face. "I'm so sorry. He's gone, Castiel, he-"

"No! He's not!" Castiel said sharply, glaring at him. "He's just sleeping. We need to be quiet so he can rest. He'll be okay when he wakes up."

"No…" John grabbed his shoulder again and refused to let himself be shaken off. "I'm sorry, Castiel, but this time…I'm afraid it's not that simple. He's not going to wake up."

Dean would never wake again.

* * *

They buried Dean a day later. John had levitated him to Bobby's house - it had been a long journey but worthwhile - and Castiel had taken to cleaning him up, stating firmly that Dean was just sleeping. It was sad to see, but they all had to watch it. John had announced the news as soon as everyone had arrived at Bobby's. Sam had been crestfallen and had been pretty quiet since. Bobby had pursed his lips grimly, and Marcus had looked mildly confused - no doubt because he'd only just woken when he'd received the news.

There had been no ceremony. John and Gabriel had gone out early in the morning and had dug a grave. Later that day, after a brief break from the digging, they'd allowed everyone a moment with the fallen Green Eye and had then buried him. Sam had kept Castiel in the house and kept him occupied so he wouldn't go out and stop them. John feared for the Blue Eye's state of mind, and how he seemed to be living in denial that this was happening. Castiel would get over it with time, though - they all would.

It was amazing, really…

A Green Eye had been the cause of all of this, of all of them meeting. If he hadn't run into Castiel and helped him, they never would have met Sam and John. Then neither of them would have also been taken to the compound, where they met Marcus, and they wouldn't have met Bobby, Gabriel, and Anna after. All because of one simple choice a Green Eye made seemingly long ago in the Abyss.

Actions indeed had consequences. To think, if Dean hadn't helped Castiel that day, John, Sam, and Bobby may never have gotten over their prejudice of the Green Eyes. And Marcus would have still been with the Blue Eyes and Michael at the compound. All of these events since then had happened because of a single choice.

A single choice made by a young man with green eyes.

_END OF **GREEN EYES**…TO BE CONTINUED IN **GOLDEN EYES**._

* * *

Thank you all so very much! I must admit that I always intended for the story to end like this...with Dean dying. It's the only way it can lead into the next plot! :D Sooooo yeah, haha. Sorry! But we had fun along the way, right? Thanks again, and please review for the final time on this story! This is my longest story ever written! Is it bad that it's a fanfic O.o hmm. Anywho, lol. Hopefully I will start Golden Eyes soon. Thanks again for taking this journey with me. It has been a fun ride.

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


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